A Separate Path
by musicin68
Summary: AU at the end of Messages from Earth. The Agamemnon gets in one lucky shot against the White Star. Instead of being able to flee, Sheridan must make another choice, one that will have wide-reaching consequences. J/D. Spoilers. Rated M.
1. PreludeChapter 1: Bad Luck

**Author's Note (2008):**

This is my first attempt at fan fiction. I watched Babylon 5 for the first time last year (way behind the curve, I know). I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to your reviews. I welcome all comments and constructive criticism. This is a re-posting of this chapter...with a few important fixes and better grammar. Many, many thanks to my beta Laurie M. This story is so much better because of you! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:**

None of these characters are mine. I've only borrowed them for a little while. Babylon 5 is all JMS.

**Author's Note (2013):**

Greetings. In the last year I've begun editing and rewriting (let's say streamlining) this story. Chapters 1-5 are now re-posted. There aren't any major plot changes, but I think it flows better overall and I hope the characterization is improved.

**Prelude (dialogue by JMS)**

_The bridge shook and a blinding flash played across the atmosphere in front of the White Star. "I thought you said that we killed that thing!"_

"_We did!" Lennier insisted._

"_This is the Earth Alliance Destroyer Agamemnon, to unidentified vessel"_

"_Oh hell."_

"_We have recorded an attack in this sector. You will surrender your vessel and prepare to be boarded."_

_Sheridan shook his head, "Of all the ships, why does it have to be the Agamemnon?"_

_Delenn looked at him, knowing concern creasing her features, "They must think we are responsible for the attack on Ganymede,"_

"_Oh, of course, that's the way our luck runs." _

_The Agamemnon fired again into the swirling clouds. "Captain, shall I return fire?" Lennier asked. Delenn looked at Sheridan, concern shifting to pity and anguish that he should have to make such a decision. Sheridan seemed frozen. Lennier's voice rose, "Captain? Shall I return fire?"_

_In an instant his decision was made. "Negative. I won't fire on her."_

"_Are they equipped for atmospheric maneuvering?" Delenn's insistent voice penetrated his thoughts._

"_No, but they can track us down like a bloodhound, they can wait us out, they can knock us down, or…or board us if we try to escape—" The White Star shook again. _

"_They're getting closer! John, I know this is not what you wanted but if we remain here we will be destroyed. Our only choices are to fight, or to surrender—"_

"_No, we can't surrender, and I won't open fire on my old ship!"_

"_Then…what do you recommend?" Lennier asked._

_Sheridan paused. He had no idea what to do. "Lennier, activate jump engines." Delenn ordered, suddenly taking control._

_Lennier hesitated, "Inside the atmosphere?" _

"_Yes."_

"_What?" Sheridan checked himself and tried to see where she was going with this._

_Stepping forward Lennier tried to reason with Delenn, "With all due respect for your innovative choice of strategy, may I suggest that the energy involved in opening a jump point inside a hydrogen rich atmosphere would be…explosive at best."_

_Sheridan grabbed onto the sliver of hope Delenn had provided him "No, she's right. We'll get as close as we can to the edge of the atmosphere. That should minimize the eruption…I…I hope. Send a message in Interlac, tell them we are prepared to surrender but we need them to back off a little. Then bring her up slowly."_

_Lennier moved quickly back to his post. His fingers practically danced across the console. Sheridan settled back into the command chair, "Let me see it. Wait…"_

**Chapter 1: Bad Luck**

Another burst of fire came from the _Agamemnon's_ main gun, this one right on top of them. "Jump engines are offline!" Lennier shouted as the pocket of exploding hydrogen rocked the bridge. "Captain, if we don't get out of here soon the _Agamemnon_ won't need to destroy us, the atmosphere will do it for them," his voice was growing increasingly desperate.

"I thought you told them we were prepared to surrender!" Sheridan shouted.

"I did! Apparently, they didn't want to 'back off a little'."

"Unbelievable," Sheridan moaned. "We just can't get a break." He turned to Delenn with a sad grimace, "I'm sorry we won't get try your unique idea." His brain had been working overtime and now it seemed to be completely blank. The Shadow vessel had been destroyed. If anything, that should have been the impossible task. They had come so far only to be stopped by one lucky shot. "Right, we're just going to have to make a run for it on sub-light engines," he threw himself back into his chair, despair written across his face. "I…I can't fire on them," he whispered apologetically. Maybe if the Shadow ship hadn't hit them, maybe if he hadn't taken them quite so deep into the atmosphere…so many maybes. There was no way to outrun the _Agamemnon_ now, and they were all very likely going to die trying.

"No. John," Delenn's voice was determined and he turned to look at her. Her hand came to rest on his arm, "We cannot outrun them damaged as we are now, and you are right, you cannot surrender to them." Her voice softened, "I know you were prepared for this to be a one-way trip, but I believe there is another way."

Confusion clouded his face. "What—?"

"Simply, you will not be caught here. I will." She turned to face her aide, her voice commanding, "Lennier, I am entrusting you with the Captain's safety." She paused to think, "You will have to hide in engineering. If we are boarded the drive core will throw off enough interference to mask your life signs. As far as Earth Force is aware there will only be Minbari aboard this ship. When the opportunity presents itself," a small shrug crept into her shoulders, "make your way back to Babylon 5."

Sheridan jumped out of his chair as he started to protest, both his and Lennier's arguments overlapping. "You can't think I'd let you…"

"Delenn, my place is at your side…"

Delenn raised a hand to silence their objections, her entire body vibrating with authority, "Lennier, you will do as I ask. You will continue to coordinate our work with the Anla'shok. Further understanding is not required, only obedience." The final word, Lennier cast his eyes downward and nodded dumbly. Turning to Sheridan her eyes pleaded with him, "If you are caught here we will lose everything we are fighting for. If I can prevent that, I must." She placed her hand over his heart, a Minbari farewell. "You must return to Babylon 5 and continue gathering against the coming darkness." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she uttered her last sentence. "If our paths diverge here, then I will see you again in the place where no shadows fall."

Sheridan stood mouth agape. His previous experience with the Minbari characterized them as rigid, inflexible. They didn't just change horses mid-stream. It was the weakness he had capitalized on to destroy the _Black Star_. Even Delenn had shown herself to struggle with the unexpected the first time they had faced a Shadow vessel. Now she was taking charge rapidly, and adapting on the fly. It was so…human. He glanced over at Lennier. The Minbari aide's face was already schooled to impassiveness, but there had been genuine shock a moment before. "Delenn, I don't know what they'll do once you've surrendered. I don't like the Intel I've been getting from Earth-dome. President Clark isn't to be trusted—Hell, how will it be any better for a Minbari to be caught here? All Clark needs is more fear against an alien menace…there could be another war!"

"John _please_, trust me. I have been in my share of difficult diplomatic situations. I cannot believe that anyone in your government wants to repeat what happened ten years ago, and I will do anything in my power to prevent that. Now, we do not have much time. I cannot contact the _Agamemnon_ until you are hidden."

Sheridan reached out and took her hand in his. His eyes locked onto her face and he gazed into her grey-green eyes. He wanted time to stop so he could drink everything in, her eyes, her lips, and the shape of her face. A few hours ago she had held his hand as he slept. He didn't know what he was feeling. He only knew that the idea of letting her do this alone left an ache in his chest. She was asking for his trust, just as she had placed her trust in him. Her words to him before they had left Babylon 5 rang in his ears. _"Are you sure you wish to go through with this?"_ He thought he had been. Now he wasn't.

With a grimace he let go of her hand and strode off the bridge. Lennier bowed deeply to Delenn and followed him. Delenn let out a sigh and settled into the command chair. There was a dull ache in her chest. The way John had looked at her had stolen her breath. She shook her head slightly; the situation was deadly serious. She could not afford to let herself dwell on such things. No matter how pleasant. Above all, John needed to be free to fight the Shadows. She was sure Kosh would agree. They had not discussed this outcome while they were planning the operation on Babylon 5, but somewhere in the back of her mind she had known that this predicament was a very real possibility. Her mind calmed as she ran through her options. She was thankful that the White Star was running a skeleton crew for this particular mission. Every member aboard was religious caste and would do anything she asked of them. The thought of harm coming to them pained her, but she was committed. They were already at war, whether they knew it or not.

Another explosion brought her mind to the present and the _Agamemnon_ sounded over the comm channel again, "Unidentified ship, this is your final warning. Surrender your vessel or be destroyed."

Delenn turned to the Minbari who had stepped into Lennier's place. "Open a channel to them." The Minbari nodded to her indicating it was done. "This is Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari Federation to the Earth Alliance Destroyer Agamemnon, why have you fired on us? We are on a mission of mercy, and have committed no hostilities against you. Cease your fire."

The stern face of human in his mid-forties filled the _White Star_'s view screen, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at seeing Delenn. "Negative, Minbari ship. This is Captain Horne of the EAS _Agamemnon_. A ship in this vicinity fired upon the Ganymede colony." His face hardened as he spoke, "You will assume a position five thousand kilometers above your present location, power down your engines, and prepare to be boarded. Any deviation from this course and you will be destroyed."

Delenn's face remained serene and emotionless. "Captain Horne, I understand your situation, but we did not fire on your colony. I hope that we can avoid another incident that both our worlds can ill afford," she said with heavy emphasis. Horne's lips thinned. "As a gesture of our goodwill we will move to the position you have indicated. We will also send you the sensor data we took of the area prior to your arrival. Perhaps it will be of some use in your investigation."

He gave a short nod, "Am I to understand you are the commanding officer aboard this ship?"

"I am."

"Very well. We are monitoring your movements. _Agamemnon_ out."

The screen shut off and Delenn let out a careful breath. "Move us to the coordinates the _Agamemnon_ requested. Slowly." She turned to the crewman at the communications station, "Make a copy of our sensor records of the Shadow vessel's attack on Ganymede, but do not include anything of our subsequent battle. Transmit it to the _Agamemnon_." A plan was forming in Delenn's mind, and the less information Earth obtained about the capabilities of the _White Star_ the better. She turned to the Minbari manning the console behind her, "Are the auto-repair systems functioning?"

"Yes, Ambassador. Baring unforeseen eventualities, full functionality will be returned to the jump engines in one hour, six minutes. Hull integrity should be restored in forty-two minutes."

She had to stall for an hour and, how did the humans put it? Perform some slight of hand.

* * *

As the communication channel closed Thomas Horne slammed his fist onto the armrest of his chair. Damn, this was complicated! In addition to investigating the attack on Ganymede, hardly a simple matter itself, he now had to avoid an interstellar incident with the Minbari. What in the name of everything holy were they doing here? Why would they attack an EA colony now? If they had attacked the colony why not fire on the _Aggie? _It didn't make any sense. He'd certainly never heard of the Minbari performing a 'mission of mercy', unless you counted being put out of yours.

Dealing with raiders or pirates would have been straightforward; he would've yanked the crew off their ship so fast it would have made their heads spin. But the Minbari, shit, he was going to have to tread very carefully. Horne sighed; he had not risen to command quickly and did not relish the idea of losing it over a confrontation with a strange ship commanded by an even stranger Minbari.

He vaguely remembered a report on ISN saying the hybrid woman was the Minbari ambassador to Babylon 5. Yet here they were skulking about inside a gas giant, days away from that station. He hoped this was all some sort of misunderstanding.

There was more here than met the eye, and he felt, best left to someone above his pay grade. "Lieutenant, get me General Fontaine on a secure line."

* * *

Sheridan and Lennier made their way to the engineering section of the White Star in silence. Sheridan was brooding. He understood the logic behind Delenn's decision, but that didn't mean he liked it. He mentally reviewed Earth Force procedure for a situation such as this. They were in Earth Alliance territory without a filed flight plan, practically on top of the site of an attack against an EA colony. The _Agamemnon_ certainly had the jurisdiction to detain them. Add the fact this was a ship of unknown design and ability to the equation, any EAS Captain worth his or her salt would jump at the chance to investigate it. Alliance soldiers would be coming aboard, and would certainly be armed. Even so, the idea of tangling with the Minbari would cause them to act more cautiously.

Lennier's voice interrupted his thoughts, "How long do you think we have until we are boarded?"

"You're not a latent telepath by any chance, are you Mr. Lennier?" At the Minbari's confused expression Sheridan continued, "Sorry, not much of a joke. I was just thinking about it and I'm not sure. It depends on how much of a cowboy their Captain is." Lennier looked completely lost now. "Uh, a cowboy is someone who likes to be independent, someone who'll take the bull by the…you know what. Never mind." He changed the subject, "How the hell are we supposed to get back to Babylon 5? I wish Delenn had been a little more clear on that matter."

"I believe our best option is to 'stowaway' on a ship heading from Earth Alliance controlled space to the station. That is the correct use of the term, is it not?"

"Yes, it is, but how can we leave the _White Star_ in the hands of Earth Force? We can't just abandon her here."

Lennier glanced at Sheridan. There was something heavy in his voice. Lennier was aware of the Human custom that dictated ships be spoken of in the feminine, but he wasn't sure exactly which 'her' the Captain had been referring to just now. He stopped in his tracks. He didn't like the idea of leaving her behind either. Taking a few quick steps back down the hall he opened a service locker. "Then we will most likely need these," he said as he withdrew two breathing masks from it. "Flooding the ship's air recycling system with an incapacitating agent will allow us to take back the ship quickly and efficiently without loss of life. If auto-repair systems are functioning, we merely have to wait until engines are operating at full capacity to effect our escape."

"That's…an idea Mr. Lennier…wait, we have auto-repair systems? No, never mind that, you said 'if'. Will we be able to monitor those systems in engineering?" Lennier gave an affirmative nod and Sheridan thought for a moment. "Our people will be out of commission too unless you plan on distributing breathers to the entire crew under the noses of Earth Force personnel. How will we fly the ship?"

"If necessary, the _White Star_ can function with merely a single occupant when it is fully operational. Give the auto-repair systems some time and the two of us should be sufficient."

Sheridan shook his head, "Right, of course we will. Remind me to make time to get a detailed lesson on the complete specs of the _White Star_ when we get back to Babylon 5."

"I'm sure it can be arranged, Captain."

"So, can we set up our chemical warfare from a crawl space in engineering?"

"Not from the crawl space, no, but it will only take me a few minutes to set up it up from the console there. Then we will merely have to press a button to initiate it," he said as they reached engineering. "I will do so now."

"No, wait, I don't think that's such a good idea. I doubt any of the crew coming aboard from the _Agamemnon_ will speak Minbari much less be familiar with your console layout. I'd hate for one of them to trigger our surprise early." He nodded to himself. "This…this could work." Sheridan allowed himself a sliver of a smile. "They'll assume a ship this size has too large a crew to move, so they'll come to us. Delenn just needs to keep them dancing a little while."

"Dancing? Why would Delenn engage in a human courting ritual?"

"Uh, it's a figure of speech. It means to keep them busy, distracted."

"Are your courting rituals not intended to focus the attention of those involved on their partner?"

Sheridan blinked. "Well, sure they are. But sometimes you go dancing just for fun. It's not always about a serious commitment."

"Among the Religious Caste such rituals are always about a serious commitment, but I believe I understand your meaning. You hope Delenn will keep them occupied without giving away sensitive information." Sheridan nodded. "This should not be an issue. Delenn is…very capable."

Sheridan almost laughed, "No argument here." With Delenn he always felt a step behind, a little off balance. He was pretty sure she enjoyed playing her cards so close to her chest some of the time, and he had to admit, that mystique added something to her appeal. Oh yes, that 'cat that ate the canary' smile was definitely becoming on her. He mentally chided himself, now was not the time to follow that line of thought. "We should give her a heads up, uh, inform her of our plan."

Lennier pulled up a report on the console and skimmed it quickly. "I must advise against that Captain. We have not yet regained hull integrity and we are slowing climbing out of Jupiter's atmosphere. Our communications are not secure. Any open comm may be intercepted by the _Agamemnon_."

"Well then, I guess we wait." Lennier led the way to a service duct near floor level and maneuvered open the hatch. Sheridan followed him inside.

* * *

Delenn paced on the bridge. They had held their required position for forty-five minutes and still there had been no communication from the _Agamemnon_. In fact there had been no movement at all. The _Agamemnon_, following their communication with the _White_ _Star_, had initiated a coded transmission, and then hung motionless in space. Delenn's stomach churned. They were deep within Sol's system. Had they been calling for backup surely those ships would have arrived by now. Perhaps they were investigating the visual records transmitted by the _White_ _Star_. A small part of Delenn's mind held giddily to the idea that perhaps the _Agamemnon_ would just leave them there. In another twenty-five minutes the jump engines would be online and the _White Star_ would be gone before the _Agamemnon_ knew what was happening. She resisted the urge to ask for an update on the repairs. That would have been the third time in the last ten minutes.

"Ambassador, the _Agamemnon_ is receiving a transmission. It is encoded as well." _So much for wishful thinking,_ Delenn settled back into the command chair. It seemed that they had been waiting for orders. "We are being hailed."

"Captain Horne, I trust you have had the opportunity to review the information we sent you."

"I have. The accuracy of the information remains to be verified."

Delenn flushed with anger, "Minbari do not lie, Captain."

Horne plodded on, "Nonetheless, you jumped into Earth Alliance space without authorization. You are under our jurisdiction and we will search your ship. Prepare to receive boarding parties—"

Delenn interrupted him, "I will consent to a legal search as defined under the treaty between the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation, Captain, but I will warn you that should any harm come to my crew you will force our hand." Something changed in Horne's face. Delenn detected the unease brought on by her statement and knew that it might spell trouble.

"That is understood, Ambassador. Horne, out." The screen winked out again. Delenn let out a rushed breath and headed towards the docking bay.

She stood flanked by two members of the crew as an Alliance assault shuttle maneuvered its way into the docking bay. She was certain that John and Lennier would be well hidden by now, but felt a flutter of fear for their safety anyway. Delenn and her makeshift retinue moved to meet their guests, and watched as the shuttle disgorged thirty heavily armed soldiers. Her eyes narrowed angrily as she approached Captain Horne and the lead group. "Such a show of force is not necessary, Captain, I assure you. We agreed to submit to a _legal_ search."

Horne drew up under her penetrating gaze, "My apologies, Ambassador, but my orders are to escort you to Alliance headquarters for debriefing."

"I see." Delenn glanced at the assembled troops. They were not here to provide an escort. They were here to seize the _White Star_ by force. This was not going to go well. Even if they made it safely away from the _Agamemnon_, now they were going to have to find a way to deal with the Earth Force soldiers on board and that might turn out unpleasantly. She had to keep stalling. "Given some time to affect repairs to my ship, we can easily accompany you there. Perhaps you would care to join me on the bridge."

"You misunderstand, my orders are to escort only you. Immediately." Delenn blinked, this was unexpected. Why did they want her when Minbari technology was available for the taking? "Your ship and crew will remain here under guard. A vessel has been dispatched to take your ship in tow." Horne tried to stare down the Minbari woman standing before him. She stood unshrinking, even outnumbered ten to one.

Delenn willed herself to relax. They might take her, but John and Lennier would have time to escape. She tried one last ditch effort to buy herself time. "I'm sorry Captain, but none of my crew speak English. I'm afraid that without me here you will find executing your search more difficult."

"You have no translation software onboard, Ambassador? I find that hard to believe."

"Of course we do. However, our main computer system sustained some damage in your attack." Not a lie, but not the whole truth either.

Horne's frustration was obviously mounting. He motioned to one of the men standing behind him. "Find me someone that speaks Minbari, I don't care what ship they have to be pulled off of." The officer moved back towards the shuttle to relay his orders and Horne turned back to Delenn. He watched her closely for a moment trying to see if she was lying, but her face was serene. Her calm was eerie. "Ambassador, regardless of our communication problems you will come with me to the _Agamemnon_ now." When she remained still he scowled, "I would hate for this to become more unpleasant." He left the implied threat hanging in the air as he gestured two soldiers cradling PPG rifles forward. They stepped up, flanking Delenn.

Delenn inclined her head slightly, "If I must accompany you Captain, my aide can show your men to the bridge." Delenn turned to the Minbari standing next to her and spoke in Adronato. "Take them to the bridge. Loose them if you can do so without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. As soon as you are able inform Lennier and…our Captain…what has occurred here." The woman clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.

Horne eyed Delenn suspiciously but said nothing. Looking to his second in command he began barking orders, "Secure the docking bay. Then lock down the bridge and rest of the ship. Report in when you've finished." He watched as the Minbari woman appointed by Delenn lead several of his men away.

Delenn stepped forward and nodded to Horne who turned and led her to the shuttle. She had run out of time. Even so, she hoped she had bought enough of it for the _White Star_ to complete its repairs. All that mattered was that John escaped to lead the Army of Light. Lennier was capable and resourceful. He would be an able liaison between the Minbari and the forces that were gathering. Satisfied that their work would continue without her she began to steel herself for the task ahead. Earth-dome would want answers. Answers she could not give them. She wondered just how long would she be in their custody for 'debriefing'.

* * *

The crawlspace Sheridan and Lennier were hiding in was cramped and hot. Sheridan's patience was wearing thin. He wanted to be out there doing something, not hiding like a wounded animal. Lennier sat with his eyes closed, breathing slowly. Sheridan wondered if he was really as calm as he seemed, or if he too was fighting the urge to do something rash. The Minbari were so reserved, how was a person supposed to tell? Sheridan's thoughts drifted involuntarily to the previous night. Delenn. He didn't know what possessed him to tell her the things he had. He kept finding himself opening up and sharing personal moments when he was in her presence. There was just something about her that inspired an intimate confidence. He tried to puzzle it out. It wasn't that she was physically attractive. He had worked with good-looking women before. Why did she have such an effect on him? Hell, every time she walked into the room he had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. With Delenn there was so much more than met the eye and he wanted to know everything about her.

He thought again of the smile she had given him before he had drifted off to sleep. That smile was worth fighting a dozen Shadow ships. She was strong, and beautiful, and…and he was in love with a Minbari. He threw his head back in disbelief as the revelation broke over him. Immediately he regretted the action because his skull cracked against the bulkhead with a loud thunk. "Ow…"

Lennier looked up as Sheridan cursed and rubbed the back of his head. "Captain Sheridan, are you alright?"

"Yeah…I…the waiting is just getting to me." Sheridan looked slightly abashed. He was in love with Delenn and he had left her to clean up his mess with the _Agamemnon_, alone. He wanted to hit something preferably with a fist this time.

"I will confirm that full power has been restored, but I believe enough time has passed to safely carry out the next stage of our plan."

"Good, let's get this show on the road."

Lennier tilted his head slightly, but decided not to ask. He began crawling towards the service hatch with Sheridan hot on his heels. As quietly as he could, he slide open the hatch and peered out. Lennier gave Sheridan a curt nod and climbed out. "It will only take me a few minutes to configure the system."

Sheridan took a brief moment to stretch out the kink in his neck and then set himself up in the archway between the drive-core room and the hallway outside it. "That's fine. I'll keep a look-out." The ship seemed unnaturally quiet as Sheridan waited. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of movement in the distance. "We've got company," he whispered as he ducked back around the frame. "How much longer?"

"Just—" Lennier cut off as a voice reached their ears.

"Don't move! Where exactly do you think you're going?" English, one of the soldiers from the _Aggie_ then. Sheridan tried to place the voice, but decided it wasn't someone who had served directly under him. "I said, where are going? You're not allowed to wander around by yourself, Captain's orders." A woman's voice responded in Adronato. His heart skipped a beat before he realized it wasn't Delenn.

"Let's go! If you don't start moving, I _will_ shoot." Sheridan risked a look around the corner. The soldier stood with his back to Sheridan, his PPG rifle trained on the Minbari woman in front of him. Her eyes looked past the man with the gun and caught Sheridan's, trying desperately to communicate something.

The soldier took a step towards the woman in front of him just as Sheridan leapt into action. He slammed into the soldier from behind. Both of them hit the deck in a tangle of arms and legs, the rifle clattering away across the floor. The soldier tried to get to his knees and lunged for the gun. Sheridan scrambled to keep him pinned to the ground. A flailing arm caught him upside the head and he blinked with dizziness. Looking up with some relief he saw that the woman had recovered the rifle. Another wave of dizziness washed over him. That was funny; the room seemed to be swimming around him. Dimly he realized that the soldier had ceased struggling. The woman in front of him dropped the rifle as she slid to her knees. She was saying something, but he couldn't focus enough to make out the words. The gas, he thought desperately. Fighting to stay conscious, he stumbled and fell as he turned back the way he came. His breather was lying uselessly on the floor, fifty feet away.

* * *

As soon as she was secured in her seat aboard the Alliance shuttle Delenn began to meditate on her current predicament. Captain Horne did not seem like an unreasonable man. He certainly did not seem to be particularly happy about carrying out his current assignment. The question was, how to turn this to her advantage. She listened to the whine as the shuttle engines powered up and tried to squelch the nagging worry that if she could not sway to him with reason she had absolutely nothing to bargain with. Her status as an Ambassador was a meager currency. Once, she could have brought all the fury of the Minbari crashing down on his head. A mere captain would have been mad to trifle with her. But she had given all that up to pursue Valen's prophecy. To become what she was now. Her thoughts were interrupted as the deck bucked violently beneath her. Her head snapped backwards and stars swam in her vision. She fared better than the two soldiers guarding her. They had not yet fastened themselves into restraints. Either they had been counting on the pilot's skill or wanted more freedom of movement should she attempt an escape.

Both men were thrown off their feet and across the cargo area. The first flew headlong into Delenn, knocking the wind out of her. The second hit the bulkhead next to her with a sickening crack. The man lying across her made a grab for the restraints crisscrossing her chest as the shuttle reversed its orientation. His fingers failed to find purchase and he and his friend spun back towards the opposite bulkhead. She saw their impact and then her stomach jumped into her throat as she felt the unfamiliar sensation of freefall. She closed her eyes and fought against the nausea that her aching head spurred on. On the other side of the hold she could hear one guard moan in pain. The other remained silent.

Sheridan came to with a pounding headache. "Captain Sheridan, can you hear me?"

"Yeah…yeah, ugh…how long was I out?"

"Approximately five minutes. You were only briefly exposed before I got to you with the breather."

"Thank you, Mr. Lennier. How did I get here?" he said as he realized they were on the bridge.

"With my assistance. I thought it best to move swiftly to assess the situation."

"Of course…uh, what is the situation?" Sheridan stumbled slightly as he regained his feet. That stuff really packed a punch. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so hung over.

"There is an Earth Force assault-style shuttle in the docking bay. Sensors indicate thirty-four humans aboard the _White Star_, in addition to you. I believe we can safely assume that everyone has been neutralized. None of the life signs has moved since I began monitoring them from here. The _Agamemnon_ is holding position along side us."

"Repairs?"

"The jump drive is operational, and hull integrity has been restored. I am bringing the engines online now. Our hull should disguise the energy build-up."

"Good, be ready to get out of here in a hurry. Where's Delenn?"

"I did not see her between here and engineering, but I have not had time to do a thorough search of the ship." Sheridan caught the concern underlying Lennier's voice. He was worried, and worse, he made no attempt to conceal it.

Sheridan glanced down at an Earth Force soldier sprawled on the deck below him, "How long will they be out?"

"I thought it best to wait until we had effected our escape before we reset the air-recycling system. Once the air is clear our crew will be out for an additional hour at most, the Humans will be out for considerably longer."

"Minbari constitution, I guess. I'm going to find Delenn."

Lennier began to nod and then stopped, "Captain Sheridan, a third ship has just entered extreme sensor range and the _Agamemnon_ has just launched two Starfuries. They are towing grappling cables."

"Damn it…looks like our time's up. Get us the hell out of here!"

The White Star shuddered unexpectedly as they made the jump into hyperspace. "What the hell was that?" Sheridan barked.

"There's been an explosive decompression of the docking bay. It…it appears the shuttle was attempting to leave at the same time we made our jump."

"Attempting? Did it make it out?"

"It impacted the ventral bulkhead before clearing the bay. It no longer registers on our sensors, but there is a considerable field of debris in our wake."

"No! Bring us about." A horrible thought had occurred to him. If Delenn wasn't here she must have gone to meet the boarding party personally.

"Captain Sheridan, I must point out that it is entirely likely that the _Agamemnon_ will come after us. We can out run them, but if we take the time to make a detailed scan of the debris field we will be forced to confront them again."

"I know that, damn it!" Lennier didn't understand the ramifications yet, Sheridan knew, or he would never leave. Revulsion curdled sourly in his stomach. The good of the crew and success of the mission versus the sacrifice of an individual; it was the burden of leadership. A burden he had carried countless times. But never, had it felt as heavy as it did now. "I…I'm sorry. Just…put us on course for Babylon 5. And get the air cleared in here. Then help me make some sense of this mess." Maybe Delenn hadn't been in the bay. He would hold onto that hope for as long as he could.


	2. Chapter 2: Lost

**Chapter 2: Lost**

It took four hours for Sheridan and Lennier to move the EarthForce soldiers on board to a suitable area for confinement. Only after that was accomplished did they feel it was safe to begin rousing the _White Star_'s crew. Each of the Minbari was interrogated in turn. The bridge crew confirmed Sheridan's worst fears; Delenn had gone to the docking bay. Beyond that they could provide no useful information as to what had happened. It wasn't until they got to engineering and the young woman Sheridan had helped that they were able to find out more.

As soon as she regained consciousness she began looking about wildly. Her panic seemed to subside when her eyes fell on Sheridan and she immediately launched into a torrent of Adronato. Sheridan stood by and watched Lennier's eyes go wide with horror. "What? What is she saying?"

"Soldiers from the _Agamemnon_ took Delenn aboard their shuttle."

"The shuttle…" Sheridan's voice caught.

Lennier finished what Sheridan could not, his voice a painful monotone, "Was most likely destroyed."

John turned and began to pace. At least in the shuttle there was a chance she was alive. "No! No, I don't believe it. It was damaged. If their transmitter was knocked off line…their power interrupted, that would explain why we didn't see them in the debris field."

The look Lennier gave him made Sheridan wish he had said nothing at all. A flicker of hope strangled by probability. "Without power and drifting in hyperspace." Lennier's face fell. "I insisted that we leave the area."

"Oh no, you don't. Don't blame yourself, Lennier. I was the one who ordered the jump. If anyone here is to blame, it's me." Lennier raised his eyes to Sheridan's for a moment and then slipped into the unreadable calm his temple training afforded him. Sheridan couldn't tell if he had succeeded in redirecting Lennier's self-accusation or not. He hoped so; better to have his anger directed at an external source than destroying him from within. Sheridan wished he had that luxury.

Lennier spoke a few words to the Minbari crewmember. She bowed and then left to carry out his instructions. His voice was soft as he asked, "What are we going to do?"

Sheridan paused. What could they do? Even if they turned around right now, the chances of being able to find a ship lost in hyperspace was infinitesimally small. Sheridan himself had orchestrated the only successful hyperspace rescue in human history, but in that situation the Cortez had been under it's own power. A ship that was dead in the water would be impossible to find. Space was just too big. "Right now we're going to do the only thing we can do. We're heading back to Babylon Five. We'll regroup there and tackle this with more resources on our side."

Lennier bowed to Sheridan wordlessly and left. Sheridan stood for a long time staring at the floor in front of him. _I should never have left her._

* * *

Delenn opened her eyes as she finally brought her rebellious stomach under control. Lights flickered in the cabin illuminating swirls of smoke that lingered in the acrid tasting air. A panel sparked somewhere nearby. In the dim light Delenn caught sight of the two bodies drifting weightlessly on the other side of the cabin. Neither moved. She twisted in the seat seeking to release the restraining harness and winced in pain. One of her ribs must have been bruised when the soldier had hit her midsection. Her breathing was unlabored so she was fairly confident that it was not broken. Briefly taking stock of her body she decided that in addition to a mildly throbbing head, she was none the worse for wear. She finished untangling herself from the zero-g harness and pushed off the bulkhead, deftly maneuvering herself across the cabin to the men floating there. Steadying herself against the opposite wall she reached out to the first soldier. She stopped his slow rotation and searched for his pulse. Slowly, she pulled her hand away; there wasn't one.

She moved to the second man and felt for his. She sighed with relief to find it strong under her fingers. The man twitched and moaned as he began to come to. A hiss pulled her attention away as the hatch to the forward compartment opened and the hold was filled with the red light of hyperspace. Delenn looked up to see Captain Horne emerging from the cockpit. He leveled his sidearm at her. "Get away from them."

"I'm sorry, one of your men is dead. The other is injured. He will need medical attention."

At Delenn's pronouncement Horne's finger tightened against the trigger guard. "Get away from them now." Each word was spoken slowly and deliberately. Delenn didn't have to be told again. She reached for the bulkhead slowly and pushed off, gliding delicately to the other side of the hold. Horne moved up to his men cautiously, his eyes and aim never leaving Delenn. He checked one and then the other. "Turn around and face the bulkhead. Keep your hands where I can see them."

Delenn slowly turned herself around and waited, listening to Horne moving behind her. Her heart was racing. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but the tension bleeding off of captain Horne was palpable. Most worrying to her was how he would deal with it. She held no illusions that she was not a prisoner, despite Horne's attempt at saving face. Her _escort_ could prove very lethal.

"Sir? What the hell hit us? Is Michaels okay?"

"He's dead. And the Minbari hit us. Perhaps you'd care to explain that _Ambassador, _because thanks to you we're floating dead in hyperspace.

Delenn froze as a realization struck her; they had still been under the pull of the _White Star_'s artificial gravity when they had pitched out of control. The shuttle had been damaged when the _White Star_ had attempted to escape, and they had been pulled into hyperspace in its wake. If that were the case, then she _was_ responsible for that man's death, no matter how inadvertently. She swallowed hard. "Captain, I am very sorry for the loss of your crew member. It was not my intent for anyone—"

Delenn yelped in surprise as she was suddenly pushed into the bulkhead. Horne pinned her to the wall and pulled her arms behind her. She felt cold metal bite into her flesh as he locked a pair of restraints roughly in place. He pulled away and swung her around by her hands. She resisted the urge cry out again as her shoulders were pulled painfully back in their sockets. Horne spun her around and pushed her into a seat. Without a word he pulled the safety restraints around her and fastened them. His jaw tightened, and his hands clenched involuntarily. Delenn wondered if he was going to hit her. Instead he closed the distance between them. His face was so close she could feel his breath on hers. He spoke low and dangerously. "I don't know what in God's name happened on your ship, but it sure as hell looks like thirty good men died there. We registered a toxin build-up in the atmosphere and lost contact with our personnel. At first I thought there might have been more damage to your ship that we thought, but someone's alive and flying it, because it just jumped into hyperspace."

"Your people would not have been killed. I can assure you—"

Horne barked out a mirthless laugh. "That Minbari care about Human lives?"

Delenn's eyes hardened, "All life is sacred." The injustice of it burned and her voice rose in anger, "_You_ attacked us. We did not return fire, and we could have easily destroyed your ship. I surrendered to you to _prevent_ any bloodshed between us."

Horne backed off and shook his head slowly. "That's the way of the Minbari, isn't it? Butcher us and then sue for peace."

Delenn's voice dropped, anger warring with grief. "Would you rather we had annihilated you?" She looked away from Horne, her voice growing quieter still, "I have told you. We did not attack your colony."

He knew would probably get no answers, but he had to ask, "If my men weren't killed, what happened? If your ship had jump capability why let us board you at all? Why jump when you did?"

Delenn stared stoically at the floor. She would answer no questions that might lead them to Babylon 5. If her silence bothered Horne, he didn't let it show. He took the opportunity to break away from her and turned back to the cockpit, "How're our repairs coming?"

"Back-up power is coming online now, sir. Yes!" The pilot's relieved voice called out. "The communication relay is totally blown, but at least our location beacon is transmitting again."

"Any sign of the Minbari ship?"

"No sir, they must have bugged out of here in a hurry."

"The _Agamemnon_?"

"They're here. It looks like they're engaged in a search of the debris."

"Good." He turned back to Delenn; "If you're lucky that stunt you had them pull won't end with you drifting forever through hyperspace."

Delenn wondered if she was indeed lucky. If she had been truly lucky she would still be on the _White Star_. But her goal had been accomplished. _The White Star got away. _ She repeated the mantra over, and over in her head…_They are safe, Lennier is safe, John is safe, John…_

* * *

Sheridan ran as fast as he could down the corridor. His breath was coming in short uneven gasps but he only pushed himself harder. He pulled himself up short as he came to the docking bay. It was completely empty, having recently vented all its cargo into space. The shielding over the outer doors must have been repaired already because he could stand there safely, staring into the blackness of space.

He glanced up and a familiar flash of color on the catwalk above him caught his eye. "Delenn?" He scrambled up a nearby ladder, pulling himself up onto the platform above. She turned to face him and a brilliant smile flashed across her features. His breath came out in a rush of relief. He smiled wide in return. "I thought I had lost you."

Her smile faded. "You did."

Suddenly he could hear nothing but the blood rushing in his ears. Or was it the rushing of the air around him as it explosively expelled into space? Delenn struggled as she fought to maintain a handhold on the walkway. Sheridan threw himself towards her, grabbing her hand just as she let go. "No!"

He held as tightly as he could but her hand was steadily slipping out of his grip. Then she was falling, sucked into black nothingness and silence.

Sheridan bolted awake, his heart pounding. Slowly, he pulled himself off the floor of the crew compartment. He had fallen off of one of the slanted beds…or thrown himself off, he wasn't sure which. _"I will watch and catch you if you should fall." _He considered asking the computer for the time, but was stopped mid-thought as the comm. sounded. Lennier's voice came over the speakers and told him that a shuttle from Babylon 5 had arrived to ferry them back. He acknowledged and began the short walk to the docking bay that had seemed so long in his dream.

It had taken them two days to make the trip back. Two days of regret and self-recrimination. Two days to replay, analyze, and analyze again, every moment leading up to their escape from the _Agamemnon_. For the most, part Sheridan had wandered the decks of the _White Star_ uselessly, avoiding the others on board as much as he could. What little sleep he had managed had been plagued by nightmares, all of them the same.

In contrast to his nightmares, the docking bay was a hive of activity. Members of the _White Star_'s crew were busy clearing away wreckage and checking on repairs. The most notable change was the presence of one of the station shuttles resting where Delenn's flyer usually was. He took a deep breath and made his way over to it.

Susan Ivanova had spent the better part of the last four days fit to be tied. She considered the danger involved in the mission to Ganymede an unacceptable risk to her commanding officer. She just wasn't sure what she could do about it. Lately, things had been even crazier than usual, and keeping her bearings was a job all on it's own. She was a member of EarthForce, the second-in-command of a unique space station, and now a member of the budding 'Army of Light', as Delenn had so colorfully put it. Throw the Rangers into the mix and she wasn't sure what her job description was. She _was_ certain, however, that she ought to be keeping Captain Sheridan where she could make sure he didn't do anything stupid, or strangle him if the occasion called for it.

When the call came from the _White Star_ requesting transport, she had dropped all pretense of working and headed for the rendezvous. She didn't know what had caused their need for a 'pick-up', but the Captain wouldn't be going anywhere else until she got some answers. Despite her exasperation, a look of concern crossed Ivanova's face as she watched Sheridan approach. "Pardon me for saying sir, but you look like hell." Ivanova looked past him to see Lennier making his way towards them. "And Lennier doesn't look much better. What happened?" She looked around expectantly, "Where's Delenn?"

"She didn't make it," Sheridan bit out.

Ivanova blinked. For once in her life she was utterly speechless. All thoughts of grilling Sheridan fled.

Sheridan pressed on, ignoring Ivanova's stunned expression. "I want to call a meeting of the senior staff as soon as we get back. Make sure Marcus is there as well."

"Yes…yes sir." Ivanova looked as if she might say more, but instead she turned and led them into the shuttle. Nothing happened on Babylon 5 that Ivanova didn't know about. She certainly hadn't missed the growing regard between Captain Sheridan and the Minbari Ambassador. _A person would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to._ She shook her head; she needed details. Never mind that she considered Delenn a friend, she couldn't even begin to calculate the ramifications of this. She cringed inwardly when she thought of Marcus' reaction. In many ways he was her counterpart, filling a role in Delenn's service that was strikingly similar to the one she filled for the Captain. Today it seemed the universe was out to get everyone.

* * *

Captain Horne stepped into the holding block of the _Agamemnon_ and told the security detail on duty in no uncertain terms to find somewhere else to be. The entire block was blacked out, no security cameras; no extraneous personal allowed in or out, no record at all that they had a guest…all of it arranged on orders that came directly from the President's office. Horne growled to himself. His diplomatic experiences could be counted on one hand. He was a soldier, the captain of a ship of war, but even he knew that this wasn't how things were done. However, he knew that his career was now hanging by a thread. The loss of the Minbari ship and two and a half dozen soldiers in one fell swoop had not been looked upon favorably. If he wanted to retain his command he was going to have to play by their rules. There were a number of unanswered questions, but was it enough to hold the Minbari Ambassador against her will? Someone thought so. He wasn't sure how long EarthDome thought they could keep it a secret. They were playing with fire, and much as he disliked it, the matches were in Horne's hands.

He hit the control panel and the cell door slid open. Delenn looked up as he entered the room. Since arriving on board the _Agamemnon_, she had seen no one but Captain Horne. They had made the trip from the shuttle to the brig without seeing a single other soul. It seemed to Delenn that the _Agamemnon_ was a ghost ship, though she knew that couldn't be the case. It unnerved her, but she didn't let that slip through her cool exterior. "Captain Horne."

"Ambassador. We'll be arriving at Earth shortly." Horne stood nervously, torn between coming to attention and bolting from the room. The Minbari was unflappable. Being in a room with her felt exactly like being dragged in front of a review board. Regardless of the fact that she was his prisoner, she seemed to be holding all the cards.

"Thank you for taking the courtesy to inform me, Captain. Though perhaps it is best we dispense with the façade that I am your guest."

Horne grimaced and began to pace. He had come hoping to get some answers before his "guest" was transferred out of his jurisdiction. Though he doubted very much she would be forthcoming. "I have my orders."

"I'm sure that is very comforting for you."

He stopped pacing abruptly at her jibe. "If you could give me some more information about what happened…what that _thing _was that attacked the colony on Ganymede…maybe, I could help."

Delenn regarded him with a piercing gaze. "Am I to understand that you no longer believe my ship was responsible for that attack, Captain?"

He shrugged. "I want to believe you, but I need something more to go on."

"You were provided with our recording of the attack. What more would you have me tell you?"

"We detected no ship aside from yours when we arrived. Where did this mystery ship go?"

Delenn pursed her lips. "It fell into Jupiter's gravity well and was destroyed."

Horne began to pace again. "Your recording shows none of this. What am I supposed to conclude from that? You just happened to be there? You didn't have anything to do with it?"

"I'm sorry Captain, there is nothing more I can tell you on this matter."

"Look, you _will _have to give us answers. It would be much simpler if you gave them to me." Horne decided to take another tack. "What about my crew? If they're still alive, as you claim, what happens to them?"

Delenn looked away. The nervousness Horne exhibited about the men and women under his command was palpable. It reminded Delenn of a certain other Captain she knew, and it tugged at her heart. "I believe your crewmembers will be returned to the custody of EarthForce…in a neutral location."

Horne looked as if he might say something, but was stopped by the chime of his communicator. He activated it. "Horne, go."

"Sir, the _Casus Belli _has arrived. They are asking permission to board."

His time was up. "Granted. Tell them I'll meet them at their shuttle." Horne lowered his hand and turned to go. He glanced back at Delenn once and then sealed the door behind him.

* * *

Delenn sat quietly after Horne left her. The steel-colored walls blurred as she stared off into space. She had no candle to focus her meditations, but one was not truly needed. She started with her breath. Most sentient beings believed that one's breath was confined to the lungs, but Delenn knew better. She breathed in deeply, letting her breath travel where it willed, following it as it illuminated every part of her body. Her mind quieted, as she became the observer of the observer. The glowing calm warmed her and she lost all sense of time. She permitted herself a small smile as she reached out to the universe and felt something deep inside resonate in response.

Unbidden, John Sheridan's image filled her mind. Delenn was startled. It was true that she had often found herself thinking of him, but never yet during meditation. Though she would normally try to bring herself back to emptiness, she allowed herself the guilty pleasure. After all, perhaps the universe was trying to tell her something.

John Sheridan was an enigma to her. From their very first meeting he had defied her expectations. Over time she had found that he constantly challenged them, and she was not a woman used to second-guessing herself. On one hand he was vilified by her people as Sheridan 'Starkiller', and on the other glorified by Humans for the very same act. He was both a man of conscience and a battle-hardened soldier. Unexpectedly, these qualities made him the perfect leader. The reason she and Kosh had chosen him to lead the Army of Light. The reason she had bothered to get to know him at all. Well, one of the reasons.

There was something else about him that she could not pin down. He filled the role they needed him to. He was everything they needed, but more than that, she found he was something _she _needed. She thought of their first dinner together and a smile flitted across her face. She could not remember the last time she had laughed that much. The more she thought on it, the more she realized just how much more relaxed she was when she was in his presence. A smile from him washed away the worst of a stressful day and at the same time made her stomach flutter with nerves. How could his company bring her peace and anxiety at the same time? The dichotomy was maddening at times, at others alarming. But the warmth of his hand or the serenity of his sleeping countenance erased all of that.

Oh Valen, she had watched him sleep! It had seemed so right at the time, but she had committed herself without even telling him. What if she was grossly miscalculating his feelings for her? Delenn could never admit it to anyone, but she was afraid. She had reinterpreted prophecy in a manner that would bring scandal to both her people and the Humans. _We will unite with the other half of our souls to fight the darkness. _Not two races coming together, but a single Human and a single Minbari becoming one. Truthfully, she acknowledged to herself, her fear stemmed not from the cultural stigma, but from the thought that John would not share in her vision. Uncertainty had plagued her since she had emerged from the chrysalis, and much of it revolved around John Sheridan. She took one deep breath after another, seeking equilibrium. There was nothing to be done about this now. John was speeding away from her, safe and on his way to Babylon 5. She thanked the universe for that as her mind settled into tranquility again. _The universe puts us in the right place at the right time._

Her calm vanished suddenly as the lights went out and the room was plunged into darkness. _They are not always easy places._ She stood quickly and rested her hand against the wall. Using it as a guide she made her way around the room to the door. She stood next to it with her back to the wall. The door opened a moment later and a spotlight illuminated the bench she had been sitting at. Had she been sitting there still she would have been blinded. Instead she watched as two men, dressed in uniforms she didn't recognize, rushed into the room. She did recognize the black bands wrapped around their upper arms that signified their affiliation with Nightwatch. She also noted a wicked looking baton in the hands of one, and some sort of black cloth in the hands of the other. She glanced out of her cell. There was no one waiting beyond.

The man carrying the black cloth cursed as he realized their ambush had failed and spun around to see Delenn standing behind them. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards him. She allowed him to do so and then placed her other hand on top of his. She turned her hands over, locking his in place, and he crumpled with a shout as she pushed his hand back at an unnatural angle. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Let go you crazy bitch!"

"I will release you when your compatriot places his weapon on the floor. I am an Ambassador of the Minbari Federation. I will not be assaulted by you." Delenn's voice was like ice, though she struggled to keep it from wavering. She hated the idea of inflicting harm on another being, but that did not mean she did not know how. These two were clearly bullies, bullies with no higher authority figure here to keep them in check. "If you would like my cooperation, you should ask. Politely."

The man with the baton laughed. "What did I tell you about the Minbari, Maxy? You can't give them any leeway. You have to put them down fast and hard." He began to advance slowly, his voice was taunting. "Hmmm, I don't think she's got it in her."

"I have warned you." Delenn took a step back, Max scrambled to stay with her as the pain in his wrist increased. The second man continued his predatory advance. Delenn flicked her wrist and flinched as she heard the telltale snap of bone.

Max fell to the floor with a howl. He scrambled backwards cradling his hand to his chest. "The bitch broke my wrist!" The other man shrugged.

Delenn eyed him carefully, looking for an opening to use to her advantage. She had no weapon, but she was not defenseless. He made a quick step forward exposing his front to her. Delenn landed a roundhouse to his mid-section that would have made any Ranger proud. His arms snapped down to block the kick, but he staggered back under the blow nonetheless. He pressed a button near the base of the baton and it extended another foot. She skipped back just in time to avoid his counter-attack with the elongated stick. As the baton passed by her there was a popping sound and she caught a whiff of ozone. A cruel grin split the man's face. He was playing with her. Delenn's eyes widened as she realized it. She turned and bolted down the open hallway.

Running as fast as she could without risking a fall, she tried to analyze her options. What in the world was she going to do? There was nowhere for her to go. They only route she was familiar with led to the docking bay, though that was of little concern as it was probably the only route open to her. What would she do once she got there? Steal a shuttle? The _Agamemnon_ would shoot her down before she got 100 feet out. And this time around they would be justified in doing so. In a Minbari ship she might stand a chance, in a Human one there was none.

The corridors of the _Agamemnon_ were as empty as they had been before. She could hear the footsteps of the man chasing her and a singsong voice echoing down the passageway. "Come out, come out where ever you are." She put on another burst of speed. Captain Horne had said that he would be meeting the shuttle. Maybe he was still there. She had to find someone, anyone who might help her.

Delenn's heart sank as she tore into the docking bay. It was as empty as the rest of the ship had been. Her lungs burned as she turned to face her pursuer. She gained a measure of satisfaction as she noted that at the least he looked winded as well.

He gave her a cold smile. "Wasn't that a merry little chase? I haven't had this much _fun_ in years. Not since the war. You Minbari really are the best toys, even a freaky little half-breed like you."

Delenn cast her eyes about the bay in search of something she could use as a weapon. She longed for her denn'bok, anything that would give her some reach advantage over this man. She caught sight of some loose construction equipment in a corner, set down in haste by its users. She dashed towards it.

"Ah, ah, ah." Her opponent put on a burst of speed, and Delenn only made it a few steps before the baton connected with her back. Waves of fire coursed through her veins as electric current raced through her body. She fell to the deck convulsing. Every muscle in her body seemed to fire at random; she could not even cry out. It seemed to last for an eternity and then there was darkness.

* * *

Horne watched the video feed from the docking bay security cameras. His orders had been to shut down all video in the prisoner's location. But the two men who had come over from the _Casus Belli_ were not EarthForce personnel. He may have been required to turn Delenn over to them, but he wasn't about to give them free reign on his ship without supervision.

His stomach turned as he watched Delenn go into silent spasms on the floor of the bay. The man with the baton watched her with a smile on his face, and struck her again. His partner reappeared a minute later cradling his arm. He walked up to Delenn, anger written over his face, and kicked her in the side as she lay still on the floor. Horne ground his teeth together. He had been warned about interfering, but the thought of this happening on his ship was intolerable. The two men secured a black bag over Delenn's head and carried her to their ship. As their shuttle exited the bay, Horne copied the video into his private directory and then, complying with his orders, deleted it from the ship's record.

* * *

The members of Babylon 5's senior staff sat as rigid as statues around the meeting room table. Marcus paced in the corner like a caged animal. No one had said a word since Sheridan and Lennier had related their story. "Well people? We need ideas here."

"I'll go after her." Marcus stopped pacing briefly to deliver his announcement.

"Look, I hate to be the voice of reason here, but where is that exactly? We don't even know if she's alive. Much less where to start looking." The look Marcus shot Dr. Franklin was pure poison.

"Stephen is right," Sheridan sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't know what we can do. What I do know is that Delenn trusted us to go forward. The Shadows are still out there."

"So what are we going to do with the soldiers from the _Agamemnon_? They can't stay on board the _White Star_ forever." Garibaldi wasn't anyone's fool. The faster the conversation turned away from Delenn, the better. He didn't fancy the idea of pulling Marcus off of anyone much. He was likely to get a denn'bok in the face for his trouble.

Lennier responded, "Captain Sheridan and I have discussed this. As the acting representative of the Minbari I can lodge a formal complaint with the Military Governor of Babylon Five. The soldiers will be turned over to your jurisdiction pending the outcome of a Council meeting."

"So they cool their heels in the brig indefinitely?" Garibaldi didn't seem convinced.

Ivanova pursed her lips. "It is a problem, sir. When EarthDome gets wind of it we'll be up to our ears in an investigation. That's the last thing we need."

"That's precisely why the complaint is going to get lost. Really Commander, you've been too sloppy with your paperwork as of late." Sheridan managed a weak smile.

Ivanova smirked in response. "Yes sir, I certainly have, but we all know my CO is pretty lax."

"That shuts down the official channels, but I don't know, Captain. There's something that down right stinks about some of the Nightwatch working security. I don't trust them. How are we going to keep them out of the loop?" There was a pause as the group stopped to consider the Chief's concern.

Franklin spoke up. "Those soldiers are going to need a full medical work-up. I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist on keeping them in quarantine until we determine where exactly they've been."

"Good, good. Susan, get a transport arranged for our guests."

"Yes, sir."

"If you'll excuse me. I have to go and get MedLab prepped." Sheridan nodded to Franklin as he rose from the table.

"Wait a minute!" Marcus had been quietly seething while they had discussed the _Agamemnon_'s soldiers. "That's it? You've all given her up for dead and we're just going to move on?"

Sheridan voice was hard as he turned on Marcus. "I'm certainly open to any _useful_ suggestions you have, but going off half-cocked isn't helping anyone."

Marcus had the decency to look slightly abashed. "What about these soldiers you're bringing on board? Surely they might know something."

"No, no they won't know." Sheridan's voice lightened slightly, as inspiration crossed his face. "But they might be able to tell us who would. Mr. Garibaldi, how do you feel about playing a little good cop-bad cop?"

Garibaldi smiled, "Do I get to play bad cop?"

"Of course, and who better to help fellow EarthForce soldiers out of a predicament with the Minbari than John 'Starkiller' Sheridan. Alright people, we've got work to do." The meeting dissolved as the members headed off to take care of their respective assignments. "Marcus, wait a moment."

Marcus paused in the doorway and turned back to face Sheridan. "Look I'm sorry for being rude just now, but you have to understand. If something has happened to Delenn on my watch…"

"It was hardly your watch. Marcus, I'm going to need you on standby if we get anything out of this. And I'm going to need you to stay cool if we don't." Sheridan watched as a struggle of emotions crossed Marcus' face.

"I understand."

"Good. In the meantime, I want you to stick with Lennier. He's taken all of this pretty hard."

"Of course." Marcus decided not to mention that the Captain seemed to be taking it harder. Instead he bowed in Minbari fashion and left. _You're wrong Captain. It's always my watch._

The meeting room was empty. Sheridan buried his head in his hands and found that they were shaking. Was Delenn dead or alive? He didn't know, and he was afraid that the truth would break him. He needed to get some rest. It would be at least an hour before they could execute their charade with the crewmembers of the _Agamemnon_ and he certainly wasn't going to be able to pull it off convincingly in this state.

He rose to leave only to find Kosh standing in the doorway staring at him. "Ambassador Kosh, I, uh, trust you got my message."

The musical sounds of Kosh's speech filled the room. "Yes."

"Let's go to my office." Sheridan led the way down the hall. Kosh followed silently behind. When they arrived Sheridan began to pace, Kosh stood still looming over him in his dark encounter suit. "Delenn…Delenn asked me to continue building our forces against the Shadows. But not knowing whether she's dead or alive…knowing that she's probably…" He trailed off, his voice falling to a whisper. "What do I do?"

Music filled the room, but instead of the usual English translation it was followed by a cracking sound and a hiss. Sheridan stopped pacing and looked up at the Vorlon Ambassador. His encounter suit had opened and a thin tendril of light flowed outwards until it connected with Sheridan's chest, just over his heart.

Sheridan was plunged into darkness. He couldn't breathe. Something rough was pressed against his face, slowly suffocating him. He thrashed his body wildly as he struggled for breath. Suddenly, the darkness was lifted and there was nothing but blinding light. He took in a great lungful of air and began to cough up something wet. His body was wracked with pain, but he couldn't think why. Trembling, he wiped blood away from his mouth with a slender, pale hand, a hand that was not his own. He ducked his head blinking furiously, trying to get his eyes to adjust. Dark hair fell around his face. _No_. Now he could make out the thin metal bands that were biting into his wrists, his hands moved up to feel a similar band around his neck. He was seated in front of some sort of metal table. A voice echoed in the room. "Now, let's see if these are working properly." Sheridan caught sight of his reflection in the tabletop just as the pain-givers activated. He screamed in Delenn's voice.

Sheridan was still screaming on the floor of his office as Ivanova came tearing around the corner. "What the hell!?" She glanced at Kosh who was still looming, though his encounter suit had closed, and then sprinted to Sheridan's side. "Captain, are you alright?" Sheridan struggled to nod.

The sound of bells filled the room again. "Find her." And then Kosh was gone leaving a stunned Ivanova in his wake.


	3. Chapter 3: Negotiating Hazards

**Chapter 3: Negotiating Hazards**

Delenn shook her head in confusion and glanced around the room trying to adjust to her surroundings. She was sitting in a chair in front of some sort of table. There were slate gray walls here, utilitarian and unremarkable, but for a moment she had been somewhere else entirely. Why had she thought she was on Babylon 5? In John's office no less. John. She was glad he couldn't see her now. She knew it was pointless vanity, but she hated the idea of him seeing her like this. Helplessness gnawed at her stomach. What could she do? She tried to settle herself, to find that meditative calm that had summoned John's face. He was strong, and she needed to be too. She didn't feel strong now though; she hurt. Every muscle and joint in her body was clamoring for attention. And there was something else, something underneath all of the unfamiliar pain. She couldn't pin it down; she was too disoriented, but it lingered deep in her bones, setting her teeth on edge.

"I'm sorry about that. But it's extremely important to make sure the equipment is kept in working order. I hope we won't have to use those again."

Delenn tracked the voice, focusing for the first time on the man who shared the room with her. He was dressed neatly in suit and tie. He carefully pulled up a chair on the other side of the table and sat down. He had apologized, was he causing her to hallucinate? She couldn't be sure that she hadn't been drugged, but she didn't think so. Drugs would have dulled her pain, and it was frighteningly clear.

He pulled a notepad and pen out of a drawer on the other side of the desk. "Can I get you anything? A glass of water? Something to eat, perhaps?" His voice was solicitous and oily.

"N…no." Delenn's voice came out strained and hoarse.

"Are you quite certain? I understand that Minbari can survive for much longer without food and water than Humans can, but you're not exactly Minbari, now are you?"

If he expected a response to his jab he was disappointed. Delenn remained motionless on the outside, but her mind was going a mile a minute. She had to figure out where she was, and what was going on. Unfortunately, clues in the room were scarce. She turned her attention fully to the man in front of her. He pressed on. "Before we can get started there are a few housekeeping details that need to be taken care of. What is your name?"

Delenn sat up straighter, scorn coloring her face. She did not believe for a moment that this man was unaware of her identity, nor was she feeling particularly cooperative.

The man across the table sighed and pulled a small remote from his pocket. He activated it and Delenn screamed as fire shot from the bands around her arms and neck. It was over as quickly as it had begun.

"Now, that isn't necessary. All you need to do is answer my questions. It really is very simple. Let's begin again. Who are you?"

The same question put to her by the Vorlon inquisitor. Delenn couldn't help herself. Hysteria won over and she began to laugh. A look of confusion crossed over her interrogator's face. Her reaction was unexpected this early in the process. "I'm afraid I don't see the humor in this situation."

Delenn's shoulders trembled as she tried to bring herself back under control. A second jolt from the pain-givers ended her fit. She took in several deep breaths. "I am Delenn of Mir, Ambassador of the Minbari Federation to Babylon Five."

"You see, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" he said with a patronizing smile.

"Why am I here?"

"Why indeed. Why do you think you are here?"

"I was told that I was being taken to Earth Alliance Headquarters for debriefing. A pointless charade since I was taken at gun point and you are clearly here to torture me."

The well-dressed man shook his head ruefully. "My, my, so direct. What ever happened to diplomatic niceties, Ambassador? It wouldn't do to be rude."

Delenn stared at him unbelievingly. "You have given no indication that you wish to honor my diplomatic status."

A sly grin crossed his face as he continued. "Diplomatic immunities and other such exemptions are for governments and those with official connections to worry about. Fortunately for my employers, I don't operate under those sorts of restraints."

"You must realize that there were witnesses to my abduction. You cannot hide this from my people or yours. By holding me against my will you are inviting war with the Minbari Federation."

"War, a dire threat indeed, and not an unexpected one from the Minbari," he sneered. "But from what I understand, that is being taken care of. Now we really must get down to business." He made several other marks on the pad in front of him. He was still looking down at it when he asked, "What were you doing at the Ganymede colony?

Delenn said nothing.

"As you like." He activated the pain-givers again. This time she gritted her teeth, but did not scream. She refused to give him the satisfaction. She would endure.

He waited for her to scream. She did not, though she was clearly in pain. He left them on, turning them off only after Delenn had fallen out of her chair. Still she remained silent. A frown crossed his face. "I know that wasn't very pleasant, but it doesn't have to be this way. Please get back in your chair."

As much as it tempted her to deny him, Delenn decided that it was best to temper her defiance. She was uncertain how long this was going to go on for and she was already tired and hurt. Ignoring her protesting muscles she pulled herself to her feet, sliding back into the chair with a grace the belied the pain she felt.

"Very good, Ambassador. Now, what is your name?"

Delenn paused briefly and the man began to deliberately reach into his pocket for the remote. "I am Delenn."

He nodded and withdrew his hand to make a checkmark in his notes. "Why were you at the Ganymede colony?"

She remained silent. The man reached for the remote to the pain-givers again. Delenn tilted her head slightly as she regarded him. He smiled at her in return as he thumbed the switch.

* * *

The crew of the _Agamemnon_ had seemed relieved, if slightly bewildered, to find themselves on board Babylon 5. Any comfort they found didn't last, however. Before long they were wishing they still had no idea what was going on. Garibaldi, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had immediately jumped on the soldiers of the _Agamemnon_ as they arrived in MedLab, peppering them with questions and exasperated accusations. He wanted them uncomfortable, and as off balance as possible. The more out of their depth they felt, the easier it would be for Sheridan to sweep in and win their trust. Not that he ever seemed to have trouble with that sort of thing. Stephen was certainly doing his part. Doctors, nurses, and other assistants were swarming over the group. Their subjects had been poked and prodded constantly since arriving. Garibaldi suppressed a laugh, he almost felt sorry for these poor fools. He set a grimace firmly on his face as he approached the two ranking officers of the group and started in on them again. "You all had better come up with a damn good explanation for being here. Do you have any idea how bad this is? You attacked a Minbari ship! They're looking to crucify you. You might have gotten one of their leaders killed, and she just happens to be a friend of mine. I've got half a mind to throw you to them myself."

One of the lieutenants he addressed was brave enough to speak up. "We were just following orders. We…I didn't even know they were Minbari until we got there!"

"Oh, that's supposed to make it okay, huh? Do you have any idea how many atrocities have been committed by people who were 'just following orders'? That pathetic excuse won't save you from a court martial."

The flustered lieutenant stammered. She was saved from answering when the door opened to admit John Sheridan. Relief coloring her face she saluted smartly. "Captain on deck!" She faltered slightly as Sheridan swept into the room like a storm cloud.

"Stephen. Your people. Out." Sheridan barked. He stood fuming as the medical staff scrambled to clear the room. Garibaldi glanced over at him questioningly. The captain was coiled like a spring and looked like he was about to snap. Sheridan ignored him, and snarled at the soldier standing nearest him. "I'm going to give you one chance to answer my questions before I have you brought up on charges. On whose orders was the Minbari Ambassador taken into custody?"

Garibaldi blew out his breath in a silent whistle. _Okaaay…I guess we're playing bad cop-bad cop._

There were several confused glances among the Agamemnon's crew. "Custody, sir?" Another soldier spoke, "I…I don't know, sir."

Sheridan exploded. He upended a flimsy tray scattering a variety of medical implements about the room. A split second later he was on the man who had answered, his hands clenched around the shocked man's uniform jacket. "Where is she?" he bellowed.

_Nope, I was wrong. This is bad cop-psycho cop._ Garibaldi stepped forward and put his hand on Sheridan's shoulder. "Captain…Captain!" he said a little more forcefully when Sheridan failed to respond. At the same time he put a little more pressure on Sheridan's shoulder and started to pull the two apart.

The blood lust in Sheridan's eyes eased and he released the startled soldier. His breathing was still heavy as Garibaldi directed him from the room. The door had barely closed behind them when Garibaldi spun him around. "Jesus, John! What the hell are you doing?"

Sheridan collapsed into an open chair like a puppet with its strings cut. "They've got her, Michael. They've got her…and they're torturing her," he managed to choke out.

"What? Ambassador Delenn? How do you know? An hour ago you said you didn't know if she was even alive."

"Kosh. Kosh showed me."

"How did…never mind." Garibaldi looked skeptical. "Look, John, we know that the Vorlons, well, they're not exactly on the level. They don't give away anything unless they're getting something out of it. How do you know what Kosh showed you was real?"

"I didn't just see it. I was there. I…I felt it. I can't explain what happened. But I was there. And they were hurting her."

Garibaldi looked at his commanding officer with some concern. To say that John Sheridan was under a little bit of stress was the understatement of the year. He might as well say that the Narn and the Centauri were involved in a few minor squabbles. He didn't know what the Vorlon Ambassador had done to get Sheridan all wound-up, but he didn't like it. He'd never seen the Captain loose his cool like that, and he certainly didn't trust Kosh not to have an agenda of his own. "Okay, okay, John. Take it easy. I don't think we're going to get much more out of these guys anyway." Not after that little show. "If she's alive, like you say, she was probably taken aboard the _Agamemnon_, let's have Susan give them a call and…"

"No, I want to talk to them."

"Uhhh, you were ready to beat those soldiers to a pulp…I don't think that tactic is going to work so well here."

Sheridan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You and Susan should be there, but I'm doing the talking.

Garibaldi shrugged and gave him a 'You're the boss' look. As they left MedLab he trailed a little behind, shaking his head. The haunted look in Sheridan's eyes was definitely not good, but he didn't know if there was a damn thing he could do about it.

* * *

Marcus shadowed Lennier just long enough to see him enter Green Sector before he broke off and headed down below. He had one stop to make before he could get underway. He absolutely intended to honor Sheridan's request to watch out for Lennier. Right up to the point when he deemed it no longer necessary, that is. Lennier had not collapsed into hysterics between leaving the meeting and arriving at the ambassadorial section of the station, so Marcus figured he was doing well enough. Unofficially, the Rangers on Babylon 5 did fall under the joint command of the Captain and Delenn. Marcus was quick to pick out the crucial term: unofficially. Of course, Ranger One probably wouldn't approve of Marcus' decision, but then again Ranger One wasn't here, nor did he feel it necessary to enlighten him.

The trip to the dingy bar he often haunted was quicker than usual. Owed in part to the fact that everyone managed to get out of Marcus' way. It was clear to even a casual observer that he was a man on a mission, and to delay it even slightly would land you in MedLab or worse. He stormed into the pub and headed straight for a corner booth occupied by four patrons.

"Hello gentlemen. I'm here to speak with a Mr. Arkidi, I suggest the rest of you find another table." His announcement was met with several glares. "Right." With a flick he extended his denn'bok and swept the legs out from under the chair next to him. The Drazi who had been sitting there fell with a shout and scrambled out of reach of the swinging weapon. The other three men stood quickly and bolted from the table. Marcus ignored the two Humans, and turned to run down the Brakiri who was making for the exit. He came along side easily and thrust his pike down at the legs of his quarry. Arkidi went down in a sprawling heap on the floor. Marcus hauled him up and slammed him into the wall. "You have a small transport ship which you use to smuggle illegal goods onto the station. You're going to let me use it."

"You're crazy. I don't know what you're talking about," the Brakiri managed to get out as he gulped for air.

"You're going to let me borrow your ship now, or I'm going to drag you down to station security and let them deal with you. After I break all the bones in both your hands, that is." Marcus pulled one of Arkidi's hands up to his face and began to pull back a finger, "This little piggy went to market…"

The panicked Brakiri's eyes went wider. "It's not here! It's on a run. Two days, it'll be here in two days. You can take it!"

"Bugger." Marcus let Arkidi fall to the floor, and walked out of the room frowning. Two days was too long. He did have one other option, but all hell was going to break loose when he borrowed the _White Star_.

* * *

Sheridan brooded silently on the way back to his office. He was grateful that Michael seemed to recognize his need to think. He was on the edge and he knew it. His mood fluctuated wildly between crippling worry and uncontrollable rage. He needed to find his center. What would Delenn do? He grimaced. Normally, the thought of her calmed him, her soft touch, the serenity that surrounded her like an aura, a brief smile that lighted her eyes. Well, it wasn't always calming exactly, but she could always draw him out of himself when he spiraled inward towards chaos. He hadn't realized how much he had come to depend on her. Now, he was alone and spinning out of control. Not knowing what had happened to her had been bad, but he wondered if this wasn't worse. He just felt so aggravatingly…helpless. Frowning, he pulled himself up short as he entered his office. He had to be stronger than this. Delenn was strong; he would be too.

Ivanova was waiting for the two of them when they arrived. "How did it go?"

"Not so good," Sheridan grunted.

Garibaldi rolled his eyes. "That's the understatement of the year. You did such a great impression of a raving maniac, it seems a shame to downplay it."

Sheridan eyes blazed. "Watch it," he barked.

Garibaldi looked unfazed. Sheridan needed a proverbial slap across the face and he wasn't afraid to deliver. "Or what? I expect that kind of off the handle crap from Marcus, not you. You're the CO of this station so you had best pull yourself together." He softened. "I know we're all fond of Ambassador Delenn, but if I didn't know better I'd think this was personal."

Sheridan glared at him and then dropped his eyes. His breath went out in a rush. "You're right…I was out of line."

"Well, that's more like it."

"If you two are finished, can we get on with finding Delenn?" Ivanova crossed her arms impatiently.

"Get me the _Agamemnon_ on a secure channel. Their captain is going to be our best bet for tracking her down." Sheridan moved to the desk and began hunting through computer files. After a few minutes he found what he was looking for, the service record of Captain Thomas Horne. Quickly perusing the data in front of him, he saw nothing that stood out. Horne had served with some distinction during the Earth-Minbari war, but had been slow to rise to a captaincy after that. He looked up impatiently. "What's taking so long?"

"I don't know. We're not getting the usual handshake protocol…wait, I've got it now." Ivanova paused. "You're not going to believe this. We're not getting a source location. They're bouncing the signal all over the place." She cursed under her breath.

"They're hiding in hyperspace?"

"Who are they hiding?" Garibaldi's suspicions were growing exponentially now.

"Let's find out." Ivanova growled.

"Try and get a location while I have a chat with them." Garibaldi joined Ivanova as they tried to track down the _Agamemnon_. Sheridan managed to plaster on a weak smile as he faced the screen.

Horne's face appeared in place of the BabCom logo and they exchanged the usual pleasantries. Despite the bland words, Horne remained tense. "What can I do for you, Captain?"

Sheridan decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter. "You can start by explaining why the Minbari dumped thirty soldiers assigned to the _Agamemnon _here today and are insisting that EarthForce has kidnapped one of their Ambassadors." Sheridan tried very hard to keep his face neutral, though he couldn't quite keep the bite out of his voice.

Horne slumped back in his chair and gaped open mouthed. "A neutral location…" he whispered. "Were any of my crew injured?" he asked.

"No. We're currently examining them in quarantine." Sheridan paused. "I'm waiting for an explanation, Captain."

Horne sighed. "We encountered an unidentified ship in Jupiter's gravity well shortly after an attack on the Ganymede colony. Upon learning they were Minbari I was ordered to escort their commander to Earth and to have their ship towed. I will admit that transporting the Ambassador aboard our ship seemed unorthodox, but it was all perfectly legal."

Sheridan's jaw tightened. "And?"

"Their ship jumped away, damaged our shuttle, hell…almost got us all killed. I believed that our boarding crew _had_ been killed. After arriving back aboard the _Agamemnon_ I received new orders. The Minbari Ambassador would be held and tried for those deaths and the attack on Ganymede."

Garibaldi snorted quietly and said in a half whisper, "Jumping the gun a little, aren't we?"

"I had legitimate orders for her transfer," Horne protested. He scowled. "I'll admit, it was a little cloak and dagger…but it was a delicate situation."

"Where is she now?" Sheridan's bit out.

"I don't know Captain. The men sent to collect her were with the Nightwatch organization."

Garibaldi snorted. "Clark's personal anti-alien task force."

Sheridan shot him a look. He needed to keep Horne talking. "and your orders after turning Ambassador Delenn over to these men?"

Horne shrugged. "We're patrolling shipping lanes."

"Why are you scrambling your location?"

"Part of our orders, keep raiders from being able to find us."

Sheridan shook his head, "You're a decoy."

"What? I don't understand."

"You've been set up as a decoy, Captain." Sheridan said with a tone of disgust. "When the Minbari come looking for their Ambassador, and don't fool yourself they will be coming, you're there to distract them from her actual location. Damn it, what do these people care about sacrificing a destroyer and her crew, so long as they get what they want?"

Sheridan glanced at Ivanova meaningfully. _Have you found them?_ She held up one finger. _One more minute_. He sighed as he addressed Horne. "Captain, I'm not sure that you understand the implications of these actions. We're talking about war with the Minbari. You were there the first time around. It didn't exactly go well for us. Surely, you want to prevent that as much as I do."

Horne's face was white now. He regarded Sheridan thoughtfully, "That's not exactly what I expected from the man behind the destruction of the Black Star." He took a moment to glance at the officers around him. "I don't know you, Captain, but most of my crew would trust you to the ends of the universe."

Sheridan shook his head grimly. "I hope I don't have to go that far."

"I'm sending you a data dump. I kept it for insurance, I didn't want things to get out of hand any more than they already are…but if you're right, this is only leading in one direction, and I don't think we'll will survive it."

Ivanova looked up from the console. "We've got it. And a location, sir." Sheridan nodded in acknowledgement.

Horne continued. "The ship they took her aboard is the _Casus Belli_. I don't know what it's final destination was, but it broke Earth orbit after the Ambassador was taken aboard."

Sheridan frowned, "Unbelievable. Of all the egotistical…" He shook his head. "Could you send us its registry and design specs?"

"We can send you our sensor logs, for all the good it will do you. It doesn't appear on the EAS registry and I've never seen a design like it. Creepy is the only word I can think of to describe it." Horne shook his head. "I'd like to collect my crew as soon as possible. We can be at Babylon Five in twenty-seven hours."

"Commander Ivanova will assist you with the transfer when you arrive."

"Thank you, Captain. We'll be running comm. silent until we get this sorted out."

Horne signed off and Sheridan turned to Garibaldi and Ivanova. "I want to see that data."

Ivanova moved aside to give Sheridan better access to the computer. "The _Casus Belli_? Sir, I feel like I've heard the name of that ship before."

Sheridan made a face. "It's Latin. It means: the reason for war."

* * *

Lennier stood frozen in the middle of Delenn's quarters. He had only come by to pick up some necessary documents, or so he had told himself. But now that he was here all thoughts of work had fled. Delenn may have been only his mentor in name, but he had sworn to be by her side. He had failed in his duty to her. Worse, he had condemned her to death.

His eyes skittered across the room and came to rest on the tea service sitting on the counter of the kitchenette. He walked over and picked up one of the small cups. He closed his eyes and in his mind's eye he could see Delenn. How many times had she poured tea for him from this service? How many hours had he spent in her presence? How was he going to go on without her?

The door chimed. Startled, Lennier dropped the cup. It shattered when it hit, throwing shards of pottery across the floor. He stared blankly down at the pieces scattered at his feet. The door chime sounded again, and Lennier blinked. "Come in."

Captain Sheridan stood in the open doorway. He looked as haggard as Lennier felt. Sheridan looked at Lennier and then at the cup on the floor. "I…thought you might be here. Uh, let me help with that." He moved to the mess and began collecting pieces of the cup.

The sight of the Captain cleaning up his mess snapped Lennier back into the present and he quickly dropped to his knees to assist Sheridan. "That is not necessary, Captain, I assure you. The mistake was mine."

Sheridan nodded and handed the pieces to Lennier. He stood and brushed his hands off on the pants of his uniform. He felt more than a little foolish standing there. He had come with news for Lennier, and now he wasn't sure what to say. He rolled his eyes. There was nothing to do but come out and say it. "Delenn's alive."

Lennier stood up sharply, dropping the remnants of the cup again. "What! Where?"

"I just finished talking with the captain of the _Agamemnon_. She was taken aboard a ship called the _Casus_ _Belli_. We're trying to track it down now." Sheridan stood uncertainly.

"Is she alright?" Lennier's searched Sheridan's face. This should have been good news, but the Captain didn't seem particularly happy.

Sheridan briefly entertained the idea of just telling Lennier that everything was going to be fine and just as quickly dismissed it. Lennier was Delenn's friend, and an ally with resources Sheridan didn't have access to. He deserved to know everything Sheridan knew. "She's alive. That's all we know for sure, but…what we do know isn't pretty." Sheridan moved to the wall screen and inserted a data crystal. "This is footage from the _Agamemnon_." He started the playback and turned away. He couldn't watch it again.

Lennier stood rooted to the spot as Delenn's abduction from the _Agamemnon_ played out before him. Sheridan watched him quietly. The Minbari's self reserve was impressive. His hands, clenched at his sides, were the only indication of his distress. The video finished playing and Lennier turned to Sheridan, his face tight. "I do not understand why the Captain of the _Agamemnon_ allowed this to take place aboard his vessel. Delenn is an Ambassador of the Minbari." _A religious leader, the chosen of Dukhat_. "EarthForce is inviting war with us. Why would your government do this? If I take this to the Grey Council, I have no doubt that their response will be most violent."

Sheridan shook his head. "Horne didn't think he had a choice. I wish I knew what President Clark thinks he's playing at. Delenn's been removed from EarthForce custody, but because the _White Star_ escaped he can't deny that she was taken in the first place. There are too many witnesses."

"They must know that our government will become aware of what happened. Their present course of action is contrary to the best interests of Earth. Who stands to benefit from this situation?"

Sheridan began to pace. He didn't want to say it even though his gut told him it was true. He'd known as soon as he saw the image of the _Casus Belli_. "I think someone in the Earth Alliance has made a deal with the Shadows."

Lennier's eyes were wide. "Then Delenn is in great peril."

Sheridan thought for a moment of the featureless grey room, and Delenn's screams. He shuddered. "Yes, she is."

Lennier continued to hold himself rigidly while Sheridan wandered around the room. "I will inform the Grey Council that we believe Delenn has been captured by Shadow agents. Though, I do not know what their response will be." Sheridan nodded and waited for Lennier to continue. "They will no doubt assign a new ambassador to Babylon Five in the meantime. I do not know whom. I may be recalled…"

A look of surprise appeared on Sheridan's face. He had assumed that Lennier would naturally succeed Delenn. "They'll send someone else? I thought…what about the Rangers?"

"There is no doubt of your leadership capabilities. They will continue under your command."

"Lennier, I'm going to need your help if we're going to rescue Delenn. If you leave…"

"I have no intention of leaving, Captain. I see no reason to inform the Grey Council in person. They may assign a new ambassador at their leisure. As I was saying, I may be recalled, but organizing transport to Minbar may take some time. In the meantime, I will help you rescue Delenn."

Sheridan smiled with relief. "Good, good." He paused again. "How long do you think you'll have?"

"As long as is necessary." Something flickered across Lennier's face. It was so brief that Sheridan almost missed it. If he had to give it a name, he'd swear it was longing. But he couldn't really be sure; this whole situation was taking such a toll on all of them.

Sheridan nodded. "We'll need the _White Star_ on stand-by."

"I will see to it as soon as I have contacted the Grey Council, Captain." Lennier bowed to Sheridan and moved to open the door. Sheridan took the hint and exited the Ambassadorial suite. Lennier watched as he headed down the corridor towards Blue Sector.

The door slid shut and Lennier allowed his composure to break. Anguish covered his features as he sat down on the couch. Delenn was in the hands of Shadow agents. He could do nothing but depend on Captain Sheridan to find her. Then, he promised himself, nothing would separate him from Delenn again. He hoped fervently that the Grey Council would have resources to commit to their search. He calmed himself and began to compose his message to them.

* * *

Delenn was unaware of how much time had passed during her interrogation. Though she suspected it was less than it felt like. The floor was cold she thought absentmindedly. She was still having trouble focusing. Her questioning had followed a prescribed form, almost like a ritual. Like clockwork the unpleasant man would ask her name and then ask her about Ganymede. What business brought you to Ganymede? Why did you attack the Ganymede colony? What were you doing at Ganymede? The question varied slightly, but Delenn's response remained the same. Each time she defied him the pain-givers were used, and he would watch until she had fallen from the chair. Though she had managed to stay silent at first she had eventually given in to the pain and her throat was raw from screaming. At the end she had barely been able to say her name aloud. It had only ceased when she could no longer pull herself into the hard metal chair she was coming to despise.

He had made a great show of checking his watch. "Goodness, how time does fly. I'm afraid we'll have to continue tomorrow. I hope you have a pleasant evening."

An eternity after he had left she managed to crawl into a corner of the room. For a long time she seemed to be adrift in a sea that contained only pain. Slowly though, she began to come back to herself. Following her breath she began to become aware of her surroundings beyond the pain. Delenn was not afraid of the man and his tools. Her fear had fled when he had inadvertently compared himself to the Vorlon inquisitor. He was nothing compared to that man. His response to her defiance was predictable and therefore gave her some measure of control.

Something niggled at the edge of her consciousness. She turned away from the aching running rampant through her body to seek it out. It was a grating feeling, vibrating in her bones, very different from the pain caused by her tormentors. It had been there the moment she had regained awareness in this room, but it had been drowned out quickly by everything else. She pushed further into that feeling seeking out the cause. Suddenly there was nothing but blackness and a dark chaotic consciousness near hers. _Shadows!_ Delenn strangled a cry as she desperately withdrew from the darkness. Her forehead burned and she retched as the grating nausea she associated with the Shadows washed over her.

What were they doing here? Had some faction of Humanity allied themselves with them? Delenn shuddered at the idea. If it were true then the alliance they were building aboard Babylon 5 was in danger. A horrible thought occurred to her: It didn't matter if the Shadows knew they were building forces against them or not. If they were successful in using her to drive a wedge between Humanity and the Minbari, all her work would be in vain. Their races would be too busy fighting themselves to effectively combat the true enemy. The thought of being used in this way infuriated her. She felt rage stirring deep inside her. Rage she had not felt for a very long time. Once, she had let it rule her, and when she had woken from her madness she had sworn that it would never happen again. This time she recognized it before it could consume her. This time it would serve her.

She could not allow the Shadows such a victory, but her options were limited. At the moment her only hope was John. John, you must find a way to stop them.

She looked up at the sound of the door opening. "Good morning, Ambassador. Would you like some breakfast before we begin?"

* * *

The man sitting outside Delenn's cell listened intently to every sound that escaped the bland metal doors. He was bored and disappointed. Nightwatch had afforded him many unique career opportunities, but in this they had failed him. They had brought someone else in to interrogate her. He's a professional, they said. He'll get the job done cleanly. The man on watch knew better. She was special. He had known it right away. She was too strong to be broken by this man in his neat suit and tie. She would defy him. This fool would fail. Then they would understand that they needed him to do this. He would be patient. He smiled to himself. It was good that he had to wait. The anticipation was its own sort of pleasure. Yes, it was good for him to practice patience. A toy this wonderful was a rare thing indeed. It wouldn't do to break it just after he got it out of the box. He leaned back in his chair and twirled his black baton around in his hand, humming softly.


	4. Chapter 4: Missed Connections

**Chapter 4: Missed Connections**

Marcus fumed quietly in a corner of Babylon 5's main docking bay. The station was a hive of activity and on any given day countless ships moved in and out. It seemed to be Marcus' bad luck that none of the ships he had investigated so far had met his needs. They were too large, or too small, too conspicuous, carried too many passengers, or were just too damn likely to fall apart before they cleared the bay. He was wasting altogether too much time doing this. Every second he spent trying to find a way off the station was a second Delenn was in trouble. _How hard can it be to find a bloody ship,_ he grumbled to himself. It wasn't like he was going to keep it…permanently.

Deciding to take another stab at finding a ship, he turned around and nearly ran down a young woman who had been approaching him silently. It was no small feat to sneak up on a Ranger with Marcus' level of training, and he was genuinely surprised. "What the devil—"

The woman did not seem particularly concerned that she had been nearly run over. She wore a dark-blue, tailored suit and her red hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail. She looked him over quickly and then spoke. "You're Marcus Cole. I'm sorry we haven't met before now; I'm Lyta Alexander."

Marcus blinked at the brusque introduction and slowly stuck out a hand. "Ah, yes. Nice to meet you." Lyta Alexander…she was currently acting as aide to the Vorlon Ambassador, wasn't she? What in the world was she doing here?

"I'm here to help you, Mr. Cole. We have a common goal. We both need to find Delenn."

And, he grimaced inwardly, she's a telepath. He quickly dropped his hand back to his side. "You know, it's rude to read other people's thoughts without permission."

Lyta's face tightened. "Excuse me," she said bitterly, "but I can't help picking up what you're practically shouting across the entire docking bay. I can barely hear _myself_ think."

Marcus looked slightly chagrined. "Oh. Sorry about that. I'll…er…endeavor to keep my thoughts under more control."

Lyta looked away. "Forget it," she mumbled.

"Yes well, how exactly were you going to help me?"

"I'm going to get you a ship, provided of course that you let me come along for the ride."

Marcus smiled briefly as he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that won't work. No hitchhikers."

Lyta crossed her arms. "Why not? You want to find Delenn; I want to find Delenn. I don't see why we can't work together."

"I really am sorry, but I work best alone."

Lyta stared at him, unperturbed.

"Let me see if there's another way I can put this. I don't play well with others. It's not you; it's me. This town's not big enough for the two of us…"

"Are you always this cavalier when someone is in danger?"

"You see! I'm already under your skin. Just one more reason why it would never work out between us." Marcus grinned.

Lyta looked to be lost in thought for a moment. "Well, either I'm along for the ride, or I'll have to inform Captain Sheridan about the ship rental program you're working out here, and your plans for the _White Star_. And believe me, I don't need access to the station's comm. system to do that."

Marcus took in a sharp breath. "You make a compelling point, and you play dirty. Shall we head to bay thirteen then?"

Lyta's eyes widened in surprise at this. "Kosh's ship? No. We can't take that one."

"Then what did you have in mind?"

Lyta began walking the length of the bay with Marcus trailing behind. She stopped in front of a small Human designed cargo vessel that was scheduled to leave in 30 minutes.

"I've already checked her out, too many crewmembers to handle. Even with two of us…" Marcus began, but Lyta wasn't listening. A strange look had come over her face. Marcus watched as a sheen of sweat broke over her skin. "What are you doing?" He turned his attention back to the transport and watched as the Drazi and the Humans who had been loading cargo set down their crates one by one and wandered out of the bay.

When the last of them had left Lyta spoke. "They've all remembered that they're supposed to be somewhere else right now."

"Is what you just did, technically, legal?"

An exasperated look crossed Lyta's face. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't exactly work for Psi-corp any more. Besides, you don't seem to have any scruples about stealing the _White Star_."

Marcus shrugged to mark his concession. They approached the open hatch and he stuck his head inside. "Hello? Anyone home?"

"They're all gone, so I hope you can fly it."

"I feel reasonably confident in my piloting skills." They settled into the cockpit and Marcus began familiarizing himself with the controls. After some time they felt the ship shake as its platform was raised up to the main airlock. "Here we go."

Marcus did a passable job of disguising his voice as he passed along the proper IDs to C&C. He thanked his lucky stars that Lieutenant Corwin seemed to be in charge of traffic for the moment and not Susan. He didn't harbor any illusion that he'd have fooled her. She'd have seen through his bluff in a heartbeat. When they were finally cleared and on route for the jump gate he let out a tense breath. The silence that fell over them grated on his nerves. Marcus began babbling. "So, now that we stalwart adventurers are off, it seems only right that we get to know each other. I'll start. My name is Marcus, I'm an Aries, and I'm here to rescue Delenn. You?"

Lyta smothered a smile. "I told you. I'm here to find Delenn as well."

"You'll forgive me for asking, but are you here because you want to find Delenn or because Kosh does?"

The smile on Lyta's face faded. "I consider Delenn a friend. She helped me when I was in trouble and I owe her for that. But I'd be lying if I said that I was here all on my own."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I'm surprised. I didn't think the Vorlons cared."

"I think you'd be right for the most part, but Kosh is…well, different. I'm not privy to everything that's going on, but I know he doesn't always see eye-to-eye with other Vorlons. And at the moment Kosh has a lot riding on Delenn." Lyta smiled grimly. "You've heard the expression 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket'?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, I'm not sure the Vorlons have. But Kosh is learning."

Understanding broke over Marcus' face. "Ah, don't put all your hope for the forces of light in one space station."

Lyta gave a short laugh. "Something like that, yes." They lapsed back into silence as they hit the jump gate horizon and Marcus' attention was drawn back to piloting.

* * *

John Sheridan was tired. He hadn't had a good night sleep since before the attack on Ganymede. Since returning to the station he had been running on a combination of adrenaline and desperation. After talking with Lennier he had placed several calls to his contacts in the Alliance Senate. He had called in every favor he knew he had, and a few he didn't. Now there was nothing to do but wait. And he hated waiting. It was the worst part of going into any battle. It didn't seem to matter if he was on the offensive or defensive; the waiting always seemed to be the same.

When he tired of pacing he sat down and began checking for messages. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing new. He wondered idly if he ought to try some sort of meditative technique to pass the time. He could almost hear Delenn's voice. _Among Minbari, the Waiting Ritual is considered one of the most important rituals…_when waiting. Sheridan wondered if there actually was a Minbari Waiting Ritual. He wouldn't put it past them. He'd have to ask Delenn about it…when they found her. He stood up and began to pace again.

Ivanova chose that moment to enter his office. "You're going to wear a hole in the carpet."

"At least that will be a tangible result."

"No word from any of your contacts then?"

"Not so much as a peep. I can't understand it. Surely someone would at least have gotten back to me with a 'Sorry, I deny all knowledge of any under the table funding for Shadow projects.'"

Susan snorted. "I'm glad you haven't completely lost your sense of humor. Because when you do I'm bound by regulation to jettison you out the nearest airlock."

Sheridan smiled wanly. "I always knew you wanted my job."

"Of course I do. It's half the work mine is, and an increase in pay to boot. Any time you'd like to trade just say the word."

"How are arrangements for our guests coming?"

Susan switched back to her professional demeanor. "They're being remarkably cooperative. Doctor Franklin is keeping them all in medical isolation until the _Agamemnon _gets here. Garibaldi has as few people as possible from security keeping an eye on them."

"Good. The fewer people in Clark's network who know about this mess, the better." Sheridan moved back over to his desk to check his messages again. Still nothing.

"Sir, if I may make a suggestion…" she began.

Sheridan sighed. "You can make any suggestion you like, Susan. But if you expect me to relax, get some rest, or take a break, the answer is no."

Susan frowned. "You're not helping anyone by beating yourself into the ground, John."

"Your objection is noted, Commander. If that's all, I'm sure there's something else on the station that needs your attention," he said dismissively.

"Nope, not a thing. With the exception of a missing Minbari ambassador there is not a damn thing that needs to be taken care of at the moment. So I've got nothing better than to sit here and bother you." Susan accentuated her point by sitting down on the couch and crossing her legs.

"Fine." Sheridan sat down hard in his chair and tried to look busy. Susan watched patiently. A few minutes of tense silence passed and Sheridan let out an explosive breath. "Goddamnit quit staring at me. What do you want then?"

"We have a saying in Russia. 'Golod ne tyotka, pirozhka nye podnesyot.' Which, literally translated means, 'Hunger's not your aunt, it won't bring you a pie!'" Sheridan stared at her bewilderedly. She sighed. "In other words, this isn't going to get better by itself. Look, I know that you care about Delenn, and that it's making this situation a hundred times harder for you. You need to talk about it. I'm here to help."

Sheridan nodded slowly. "Susan, you have a really irritating habit of being right."

"I know. It's why you put up with me. Now talk."

Sheridan opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. He did this twice more before he stood and resumed pacing. Talking seemed to be easier while he was moving. "I got her into this mess. _I_ asked her to come to Ganymede, to help destroy the Shadow vessel."

He paused and Susan ventured a comment. "Do you really think she would have let you go alone? I think she was onboard even before you asked her."

Sheridan paused his back and forth momentarily. "Maybe, but I should have done more. If I had acted on her suggestion to escape from the _Agamemnon_ immediately instead of hesitating, we'd all have safely made it back here. And then…I let her take the blame while I hid! I should never have let her talk me into it."

He lapsed into silence and began pacing again. Susan spoke. "Listen to yourself, John. You _let her_ take the blame? She's not a subordinate in your chain of command. It sounds to me like she made a command decision. It's time to stop beating yourself up over a choice _she_ made. You obviously trusted her to make the decision then, trust that she did what she thought was right." Susan's voice softened. "It's okay to worry about her. Hell, I'm worried about her. But this isn't your fault."

The same damn thing he had told Lennier. Sheridan actually laughed. "I guess I've got a lot of nerve shouldering all the responsibility myself."

"Being willing to take responsibility is one of the things that make a good commander. Knowing when to trust others with it is one of the things that make a great one."

Sheridan smiled. "You know, you're not half bad at this. We should set you up with a weekly feature." He spread his hands as he read the imaginary title. "Ivanova's Answers, it has a nice ring to it don't you think? Taking calls, dispensing advice. You could broadcast from C&C."

Susan paled slightly at the jest. "Oh no, no no no. I only meddle in an emergency. You won't catch me offering advice to the masses. There's another Russian saying, 'Durakov ne seyut, ne zhnut, sami rodyatsya.'"

"All work and no play?" Sheridan ventured.

Susan shook her head. "There's a sucker born every minute." The intercom chimed and she breathed a sigh of relief, anything to keep the Captain from making good on his threats.

Sheridan straightened his uniform and keyed on the comm. The BabCom logo on the screen was replaced by the image of a stern-looking brunette woman. "Senator Crosby, thank you for getting back to me."

"I owe your father a great deal, Captain. It's the least I could do. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay on the line, however."

"I understand. Your time is certainly appreciated."

"I did as much digging into the Funding Oversight Committee's records as I could on short notice. Several of us have been looking into this administration's requisitions for some time now, but I hope you realize that there are a hundred places for funds to disappear into and what I've found may not be what you're looking for."

"I do, Senator, but any insight you can provide could prove invaluable."

The senator nodded and continued. "Of course, there's nothing so overt as a lump sum earmarked for an unknown agency and their secret base, but while some funding has been managed questionably we've been able to account for most all of them. The best I could come up with are a few discrepancies in the financial reports for Clark's Nightwatch program."

Nightwatch again. Sheridan's mouth thinned. "What sort of discrepancies?"

Senator Crosby paused. "Food. It doesn't seem like the sort of thing you were looking for, Captain, but there are numerous purchase orders for foodstuffs to be delivered to several different colonies. This wouldn't be that unusual except for the fact that a large number of them were neither marked received, nor reported missing."

Sheridan frowned at this information. "You're right, Senator. I'm not sure that's what we're looking for." A quizzical look began replacing his frown as he thought it over. "Just how much money did they spend on the missing food anyway?"

Crosby laughed lightly. "Not enough to fund the shadow organization you might have hoped to find, but enough to feed a few hundred people for several months. I'll send you the details."

Sheridan's face had broken into a genuine smile. "Thank you Senator, you've been a great help."

"A pleasure as always, Captain."

Crosby signed off and Sheridan began perusing the data she had sent. Susan watched him quietly. A few minutes passed and then his fist came down on his desk. "We've got 'em!"

Susan didn't try to hide her confusion. "How?"

"Suppose you had made a deal with the Shadows for technology, enough technology to build an entire ship." Sheridan began, his voice unable to hide his growing excitement. "You wouldn't necessarily need money for parts if they were being supplied by the Shadows."

Susan nodded in dawning comprehension, "That would certainly help if you wanted to keep it a secret from your own government. But even if you have all the hardware handed to you on a silver platter, someone's got to fly it."

"And that someone needs to eat. We track down the missing shipments, we find Delenn." Sheridan grinned triumphantly. For the first time in 3 days he had something resembling a plan. The waiting was over.

* * *

Marcus was extremely pleased with himself. He had convinced the Minbari stationed on board the _White Star_ to return to Babylon 5 without any trouble. He had briefly suspected Lyta of exerting some sort of influence but she had flatly denied his accusations and he felt it best to let the matter drop.

He kept one eye on her as he ran a systems check. The _White Star_ had been built using a combination of Minbari and Vorlon technology, and to most people the result was stunning in its engineering and design. Lyta did not seem stunned. She seemed relaxed, even a bit blasé about being on board. Though, rumor had it she had actually been in Vorlon space, so who knew what sorts of things she had seen.

Marcus set her up at one of the control stations. She quickly shooed him away. Apparently, she didn't need any help learning the layout of the controls. He watched her move a hand across them. She touched them like one might touch a well-loved pet. If he didn't know better he'd say that the ship even responded to her more readily than it did him. It was a little eerie.

"I'm setting a course for Ganymede. We can start our search there."

Lyta cocked her head. "What makes you think that Delenn will still be there?"

"That's the last place we know she was for sure. Captain Sheridan and Lennier didn't even try to look for her. They admitted as much." Marcus tried to keep his emotions in check for Lyta's sake. "If EarthForce didn't find the shuttle, then we will."

There was a moment of silence, as Lyta seemed to ponder this. "It's not a bad place to start, but it'll take us a while to get there. We should drop out of hyperspace several times before we arrive."

"What? Why?"

"The _White Star_ is the 'one that got away'. They'll be looking for us. I want to make sure that they know we're coming." Lyta shrugged. "It'll save us having to hunt for them."

Marcus looked at her speculatively. "That's why you wanted to come along, isn't it. The _White Star_ is your bait."

"Well, it certainly wasn't your winning personality," Lyta quipped.

Marcus adopted an injured look. "I'm supposed to be the one with the clever one-liners around here. Do try to keep that in mind in the future."

* * *

Sheridan, Ivanova, and Garibaldi were busy searching through transport logs when Lennier entered the office. "Captain Sheridan, if you have a moment?"

Sheridan looked up from the papers strewn in front of him. "Of course Mr. Lennier, how did things go with the Grey Council?"

Lennier's face clouded into a frown. "I was not privy to their deliberations, however they have informed me that a cruiser will be dispatched to Babylon Five to investigate the matter."

Sheridan eyed the Minbari aide. "You don't sound particularly pleased about that."

"I will admit I expected a more…extensive response." The look on Lennier's face was closed as he swallowed the information on the tip of his tongue. The Grey Council's response was not unreasonable for a missing ambassador, but for Delenn, a former member of that august body, such a limited response was a slap in the face. Lennier was deeply concerned over this turn of events, but it was not his place to disclose Delenn's past to Sheridan and the others, regardless how noble their intentions might be. Instead he fell into a troubled silence.

Sheridan saw Lennier's unease, but said nothing. He knew the Minbari well enough to know that they were not particularly open about the processes of their government. Truth be told, they weren't particularly open about anything. And if it had to do with Delenn, Lennier would be fiercely protective of it. If he didn't volunteer the information, Sheridan would just have to wait. "When should we expect them?"

"I do not know their exact time table. I will let you know as soon as I am informed." Lennier paused. It was time to bring up his other reason for coming. "I understand you have information about where Delenn is being held."

A look of surprise crossed Sheridan's face and he glanced at Ivanova and Garibaldi. "Yes, we think so. Um, how did you know?"

Lennier looked slightly nonplussed. "I was informed by the crew of the _White Star_ that Ranger Cole had taken the ship on your orders. Naturally, I assumed you had discerned a location."

Sheridan shot out of his chair. "He what?!"

"Oh boy," Garibaldi muttered.

Lennier took in the startled looks on the faces of the EarthForce officers. "He was _not_ acting on your orders."

"No, he most certainly was not!" Sheridan ran a hand through his hair. "That self-centered son of a—I'm going to kill him."

"Not if I get my hands on him first." Ivanova growled. "How the hell did he get off station?" She hit the link on her hand. "Ivanova to C&C," she barked.

A rather nervous-sounding Lieutenant Corwin answered. "C&C here, go ahead Commander."

"Did you authorize Marcus Cole's use of a shuttle?"

"No ma'am, all use of station shuttles must be cleared through you."

"He must have hitched a ride with someone else then. Get me a list every ship that's left in the last five hours, and send it to the Captain's office ASAP."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Ivanova, out." She began to pace angrily in the center of the room, muttering to herself in Russian. Occasionally, a recognizable word escaped. None of it sounded good for Marcus.

Garibaldi edged out of her path. Better to stay out of her way than be caught in the tempest. He felt a little sorry for Lieutenant Corwin. If Susan found out that Marcus had snuck out on his watch, he'd be in the doghouse for a month. He turned to Sheridan, "You don't think he'd be stupid enough to let someone else know where we keep the _White Star_ parked, do you?"

"Honestly, I don't know, but this time he's gone too far. We can't openly broadcast to him without letting EarthDome know we're in contact with a renegade ship. And now when we do find Delenn, we've got no way to get there!" Sheridan's face darkened.

Garibaldi jumped in, in an effort to ease Sheridan's temper. "Okay, I'll admit this puts us in a bind, but we're still well on our way to finding her."

Lennier stepped forward. "The _Zhalen_ is no longer at our disposal, but I believe I can arrange for another Minbari transport through the Rangers."

Sheridan frowned. "I've had enough of the Rangers for right now. Besides, if we're up against the Shadows we're going to need a ship with a lot more firepower than a transport. How much longer until the _Agamemnon_ arrives?"

Ivanova stopped stalking the room in order to respond. "Ten hours, give or take. You can't be thinking of sending them after her."

"No, but I want to have a location pinned down by the time they get here." Sheridan reassured her. He wouldn't ask the _Agamemnon _to go after Delenn, but he wasn't above asking for a ride. He wasn't ready to spring that on Susan just yet, though.

An ensign on duty in C&C came in with the information Ivanova had requested. Garibaldi half expected her to take off the poor messenger's head. Clearly, Corwin thought it was likely as well. He wasn't about to show his face just now. The unfortunate ensign took one look at Ivanova and beat a hasty retreat. She scowled. "If he was on one of these ships, I'll find it."

Sheridan nodded. "Lennier, can you ask the _White Star_'s crew if they know what kind of ship Marcus showed up in? It would help us narrow it down."

"Of course, Captain."

"Mr. Garibaldi, find out if anyone in the docking bays has seen anything suspicious." Sheridan sat back down behind his desk. _One step forward, two steps back._

* * *

Delenn awoke with a jolt. She winced as she willed her head to clear. When had she dozed off? She couldn't be sure; it was not a promising sign. Her captors had been preventing her from sleeping for the most part. These shocks weren't intense enough to cause her the agony she experienced while meeting with her interrogator, merely enough to cause her discomfort and annoyance. The lack of sleep was wearing on her, but meditation had helped mediate her deteriorating control to a point.

Unfortunately, even meditation failed against the drugs that were now racing through her system. It was her own fault she supposed. She had broken out of the established structure her examiner had created. During her last interrogation session rather than playing along with his question and answer gambit she had instead begun reciting Ti'la. It was a horrible recitation but she was sure that even Mayan would forgive her the circumstances. Perversely, she felt the punishment had been worth it just to see the irritation on the man's normally unemotional face.

When he tried to begin again she had hurled insults at him in every language she could think of, finding some measure of relief in the release of her anger. He did not appreciate her acts of spontaneity. She was surprised by it herself, truthfully. Delenn was not a person given to action without careful thought. Years of training in temple as a child and later as an aide to Dukhat had honed her reactions. She supposed that this unusual behavior must be a sign that they were slowly but surely breaking down her walls.

Delenn didn't know exactly what drugs had been administered, but whatever she'd been given only seemed to function some of the time. For the last few hours…had it been hours?...she had moved in and out of coherence unpredictably. She saw things, heard strange sounds. The world would be turned on its head and then she would find herself back inside the cold steel room. Slipping back and forth between the two was disorienting in the extreme and she worried what she might say when she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings.

Take now, for example. She was clearly hallucinating.

"Delenn." John Sheridan's voice echoed strangely in the small room. "Are you all right? Say something." Delenn looked up into his face, dismay covering her features. It couldn't be John; he was far from here. Where was here anyway? It was so hard to think just now. "Delenn, please." His voice was soft, concerned.

She shook her head and choked back a sob. It wasn't real. This couldn't be real. "Go away."

"Delenn, do you know who I am? Can you tell me what day it is?"

_John._ "No." She took a deep breath. "You're a delusion; you don't exist." Her voice came out in a strangled whisper. She tried to get up and move away from the apparition, but her body wasn't cooperating. She slumped back against the wall, turning her head away instead.

"Of course I exist, and I want to help you; you're hurt." John's voice radiated compassion.

Delenn closed her eyes and muttered quietly in Adronato. "You can't be here. I did this so you would be safe."

"Is it wrong for me to want to return the favor?"

Her heart jumped in her throat. _How like him._ Abruptly, she realized his response had come in the language she had spoken. She opened her eyes to stare accusingly at what could not be John. "You don't speak Adronato."

He shrugged. "So I'm a product of a drug induced stupor. Isn't talking to me better than talking to yourself?"

Her mouth twitched in a half smile. "If that is the case, then I am still talking to myself."

Not-John laughed aloud. "So much fun. You are the most obstinate woman I've ever encountered." He settled himself on the floor next to her.

"You mistake strength for stubbornness."

"Do I? I know you're strong. Too strong to be broken by that fool," he said derisively.

At that moment something in his voice sounded…wrong to Delenn. "It is who is listening that concerns me," she said carefully.

"Listen to yourself. You're so 'strong' you're fighting with yourself." He sighed loudly. "Delenn…" He covered her hand with his.

Her body went rigid. Were her hallucinations tactile now as well? She felt she could no longer trust any of her senses. This was truly torture, more so than anything done with pain-givers and beatings. More than anything she wished she could throw herself into John's arms and be safe, be home. It would be so easy to give in, let all of this be over. A tear slipped down her cheek. She couldn't do that, no matter how inviting it was. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

He shook his head. "I'm not. I'm a product of your mind; remember? If you can see me you must need me. Tell me how to help you and we can get you out of here."

She shook her head. "No. The Shadows are here, and I am afraid." She shivered. "They will destroy us all."

"Nothing to be done then, huh. Is there another reason for you to want me here? Why don't you tell me?" He moved his thumb gently over her hand.

It was too much to bear. Tears began streaming down her face. "I love you," she whispered.

His caress lifted and Delenn looked up. John was gone. It didn't matter that she knew he was an illusion. It was as if someone had ripped her heart from her. She wanted to scream; instead she sat shaking in the corner.

There were more voices now, speaking English. "What did she say?" The well-dressed man seemed impatient.

"Not much. She's pretty out of it now," a cold voice drawled. "It's impressive how aware of her surroundings she is, even after being drugged." He smiled slightly at this.

"Was she given enough?"

A third voice, one she didn't recognize. "I wouldn't be comfortable giving her more. Look, I'm doing the best I can. Her physiology is unlike anything I've dealt with before and she doesn't react in any predictable way. I'm mostly going on guesswork here. If you had followed my suggestion and let me conduct some experiments before you started questioning her—"

"I've told you, time is not on our side." The well-dressed man interrupted. He frowned. "She didn't tell you anything useful? No names?"

The cold voice laughed, it was the man who had taken her from the _Agamemnon_. "No names. But get this; she's in love with whoever she was seeing, and he's not a Minbari."

"Human?"

"She didn't say.

"Disappointing. I would have liked to have had something to tell Command."

The cold man shrugged. "I don't see why you don't just bring a telepath in here. You want information, why don't you just rip it from her head?" He sneered. "She's obviously not going to cave to _you_."

"Telepaths aren't allowed on board."

The cold man shrugged. "I suggest you let me take over her questioning then." He sounded smug; he had been waiting for this.

"There won't be any more questions here. Orders are to turn her over to the Shadows."


	5. Chapter 5: Crossing Guard

**Chapter 5: Crossing Guard**

"We're doing what?" The man with the cold voice asked warily.

The well-dressed man straightened his tie. "They were most interested when they learned of our guest. It seems they have some use to put her to."

The first man's lip curled menacingly. It wasn't fair; he was supposed to have the opportunity to break the Minbari freak. He had been patient and now it was his turn to play. "They can have her when we're finished."

"I doubt there'd be much left of her when _you _were finished. No. We want to stay on good terms with our newest allies. Their gratitude is worth more than any information she can provide."

The cold man resisted the urge to snap his rival's neck right there in front of everyone. He took a deep breath. He'd already been reprimanded for excessive force in removing the Minbari from the _Agamemnon_. The doctor was a witness; there'd be no way to talk his way out of trouble this time. "Fine. Are they coming to get her or what?"

"No, no. They prefer to keep a low profile. A shuttle will take her to the rendezvous point."

The cold man nodded as the trio made their way out of he room. He'd make sure that he was on whatever detail was part of her escort. He'd have his chance to play yet.

* * *

_The Shadows. _They were going to deliver her to the Shadows. Delenn shuddered and tried to pull herself more tightly into a ball, as if by hiding in the tattered remains of her dress she could somehow escape such a fate. She had suffered pain, humiliation, everything these men had chosen to dish out. But the fear that swept over her sapped her of the little strength she had left. She stared listlessly at her hands. Her gaze lingered on the burn marks edging the silver bands that were fastened tightly to her wrists. Idly, she found herself tracing the pale blue veins that trailed up her arm. It was like looking at a river delta from orbit, a river carrying the waters of her life. And she was trapped in the current, being washed away towards the darkness. A small sound escaped her and she began to claw desperately at her wrists, her despair winning over. Blood began to well up from the deep scratches, and she wondered if she could do enough damage to kill herself before they stopped her.

"Delenn, you must stop." Lennier's voice was quiet yet firm.

She jerked her head around at the sound and stared at her aide. He stood near the metal table his hands clasped together. A moment passed as she held herself rigid with shock. Then it dawned on her. She sighed deeply; she was hallucinating again.

"You are not here. Why should I listen to you?" Delenn spat.

Lennier inclined his head in acquiescence, "You are correct. I am not here, but your wellbeing is still my concern. You must not give in to them."

She laughed; it was sharp and mirthless. "There is nothing else I can do. If I do nothing the Shadows will take me. I would rather die than let them make a puppet out of me."

He moved to kneel by her side. "I know. But that time has not come."

"No one returns from Za'hadum." She said sadly, looking up. Defeat colored her voice and her eyes welled with tears.

"You are correct, but you are not there yet." Lennier's gaze held hers; his voice was firm.

She sighed but nodded anyway, hating all the while that she felt so lost, so desperate. "I…I don't know what else to do."

"You will wait. You will practice Tamin'fal."

Delenn blinked and stared open mouthed at Lennier. Tamin'fal was the Waiting Ritual. It was the first ritual a child of the Religious Caste was taught and once it was mastered a young Minbari moved on to more complex things. In a sense it was the basis for all of their ritual training. Even so, to suggest to anyone past adolescence that they needed to practice it was usually insulting in the extreme. Had Lennier slapped her it would have been no less shocking. Forgetting in her disbelief that he must be a delusion she was momentarily speechless.

Lennier repeated himself. "You will practice Tamin'fal. You must begin again."

Recovering herself she shouted hoarsely, "Why…why would you say such a thing to me? I thought you were my friend." The anger that had been bubbling under the surface since she discovered the presence of the Shadows here rushed to the forefront. Without thinking she swung at him. Her hand met nothing but air. Her eyes searched his. There was no cruelty there, only acceptance.

"You must begin again."

She took a deep breath and felt her anger ease. She nodded slowly. He was right. Some part of her had conjured him up, was still fighting, but her control was non-existent. Closing her eyes, her hand still over her heart, she began the breathing of Tamin'fal. When she opened her eyes again the image of Lennier was gone.

* * *

The _Agamemnon_'s arrival at Babylon 5 was as quiet an affair as the command staff could manage. The battle cruiser herself was hidden on the far side of Epsilon III, and Captain Horne shuttled over to the station alone. Sheridan and Garibaldi were waiting for his arrival. Ivanova had complained bitterly about being left out, but Sheridan had pointed out that someone had to man C&C to keep everything under wraps. The unspoken knowledge that they were acting dangerously far outside their jurisdiction was weighing heavily on all three of them. Had Sheridan not been so distracted himself he would have noticed that despite her complaints Ivanova agreed to stay behind rather quickly.

The entry to the shuttle bay was quiet except for the humming of the air recycling system as they waited for the airlock to pressurize. With a deep thump and a hiss the doorway slid aside to allow them access. Sheridan strode forward and met his counterpart halfway to the shuttle. Garibaldi looked on with a wry smile. He would have laughed aloud had he thought he could get away with it. The two captains were staring each other down like gun fighters at high noon in an old western flick.

Captain Horne broke eye contact first. He glanced at Garibaldi and then back at Sheridan. "Captain Sheridan, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

Sheridan nodded gravely. "As do I."

There was another awkward pause. "My soldiers?" Horne asked.

"Are being held in…ah, quarantine. We can—" He was interrupted by the chime of his communicator.

"Ivanova to Sheridan."

"Go ahead, Commander."

"Sir, you're needed in C&C immediately." Ivanova's voice was tense.

Sheridan frowned. He almost retorted that whatever it was could wait before catching himself. Susan knew what was at stake; she wouldn't have interrupted him unless it was serious. He was too edgy. "On my way." He was halfway to the door before he turned back to the other two men. "Mr. Garibaldi, would you please escort our guest to MedLab. I'll join you as soon as I'm able."

* * *

Several hours had passed since Delenn had learned of her sentence. Thankfully, with the end of her interrogation came the end of the near constant barrage by the pain-givers. It was the first respite she had had since arriving here. Even the pounding headache she experienced as the drugs worked their way out of her system was more manageable because of it.

Without warning, the door to her cell opened with a crash. Delenn stood as quickly as she could manage. She regretted the sudden movement as the world turned upside-down before righting itself. Shortage of food, water, and sleep was playing havoc with her balance. She stumbled against the table in the center of the room, and grasped its edges with both hands to keep upright. She wanted to be on her feet for whatever was coming next, not cowering in the corner like a frightened gok.

She immediately recognized the first man who came into the cell. It was the cold man wearing the NightWatch band. He was holding some sort of bundle in his hands, but her eyes were drawn to the black baton he wore at his waist. The two following him were unfamiliar to her, but the PPGs they carried at the ready said all that was needed about their roles.

The cold man tossed the bundle of cloth at her. "Put this on."

Delenn reached down and picked up a pair of non-descript, dark blue coveralls. She looked back at the three men steadily and waited to see if they would leave. The cold man smiled and made his way around the table, closing the distance between them until Delenn could feel his breath on her face. She resisted the urge demanding that she take a step back, certain that he would only follow her.

"Now."

Never breaking eye contact Delenn moved slowly backwards. The cold man remained motionless. She carefully unfastened the outer portion of her dress and let it fall to the floor. Still wearing the jumpsuit that she had on underneath, she began to step into the coveralls.

The cold man broke in. "No. That comes off too." One of the guards laughed, and the cold man gave Delenn a leer. Her breath caught in her throat as it suddenly occurred to her that if these men chose to assault her, there was little she could do to prevent it.

She turned away from them and took a breath. She was shaking and try as she might, she could not stop. Part of her expected that she would be forced to face them, but the order didn't come. As quickly as she could she slipped out of the jumpsuit and pulled on the coveralls before turning around again. A grin was plastered on the face of the cold man, but to her relief he made no other movement towards her. "Time to go then, _Ambassador_." The trio escorted Delenn from the cell.

* * *

As they made their way through the bowels of the_ Casus Belli_, the man with the black baton hummed softly to himself. His eyes lingered on the Minbari walking in front of him. He smiled in recollection. She had tried to fight back against him on board the _Agamemnon_. She had held her ground against him in the cell when he had forced himself into her space. Even so, he could feel the fear rolling off of her in waves now. He had seen her tremble as she was forced to undress in front of him, and he enjoyed the alarm his behavior towards her was eliciting.

Keep them guessing, that was the best way to handle a Minbari. They became lost so easily when you did something unexpected. He nodded to himself. He was right; she was exquisite. His time with her might be short, so he was going to savor every bit of it.

* * *

They entered the docking bay and Delenn let out a gasp of surprise. Resting on the deck next to several Human style shuttles was the _Zhalen_. The rear port fin had been nearly sheared off, and the hull had deep scratches running down the length of the ship, evidence of its violent expulsion from the _White Star_. Startled, she stopped short.

Seeing her open mouthed stare the cold man leaned in close behind her, and placed his baton between her shoulder blades. "Another Minbari souvenir we picked up." A sharp, painfully jab sent her stumbling forward and they began moving again.

Delenn's escort led her to an Earther style shuttle painted an unimaginative black. Without ceremony she was secured in restraints in the rear section of the craft. The two guards with PPGs left the shuttle and she found herself alone with the cold man. In contrast to his earlier behavior he now pointedly ignored her.

Delenn closed her eyes. How long had it been since she had been removed from the _White Star_ in a similar shuttle? Days? Weeks? Longer? She wasn't really sure. The shuttle began to move and she held her breath. Unlike on her last trip they made a smooth transition from gravity to weightlessness. And unlike on that last trip, this time she knew the Shadows were waiting for her. It was taking everything she had to hold herself together. With a grimace she shoved the fear back down and opened her eyes.

The cold man sitting across from her seemed to being looking anywhere but at her. She could discern no emotion on his face at all. After a few moments he rose, took his baton in hand, and opened the hatch to the forward cabin. The pilot turned in surprise. "Is there a problem?"

"Not anymore." The cold man snapped his baton around and the live end connected with the pilot's side. Delenn flinched as he screamed, convulsing wildly.

A smile crossed the cold man's face as he watched the pilot's body continue to spasm. "Stop!" Delenn cried out.

He lifted his baton, and turned to look at her. "In a hurry to get to Za'hadum?"

She paled slightly, but her face remained firm. "There is no need to torture him."

"Oh, I doubt he's feeling much pain anymore." The cold man turned back and began entering commands into the control panel. When he was satisfied with their course corrections he moved to sit beside Delenn. "There, now we have a little time to get to know one another."

Delenn's heart began to beat faster. "I would not give your interrogator the information he wanted, why do you believe I will give any to you?"

The cold man shrugged. "I could save you from the Shadows. Take you home right now."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "What do you want?"

"See? I knew you could be reasonable, given the proper incentive. Bradford was so sure he would break you with his little toys." He gestured at the bands still binding her wrists. "We won't be needing those."

Without warning he reached for the zipper at the top of her coveralls and Delenn tried to pull back in her alarm. He stopped to produce a key and then viciously backhanded her across the face. Grabbing her chin he pulled her face to his. He was practically frothing at the mouth. "What did you think I was going to do? What makes you think I'd want to dirty myself with a freak like you?"

_He is mad,_ Delenn thought as she blinked back tears. _And I am trapped here with him._

The cold man let go and then roughly grabbed her hands, unlocking the bands on her wrists. She hissed in pain as the metal released her inflamed skin. He yanked down on the zipper-pull at her neck and then closed his hand threateningly around her throat. "I think we'll leave the collar on. Every good dog needs one." He waved the key in front of her face and then tossed it away across the hold. With a chuckle he moved back across the cabin to stare at her.

"What do you want from me?" Delenn began carefully. Slowly she dabbed at her swelling lip.

"Everything," the cold man said succinctly, continuing to stare.

Delenn swallowed. He did not elaborate and she did not want to follow that line of thought any further. "Where are we?" she tried again.

He gave no response. She opened her mouth to speak again when he cut in. "How is it that your Human lover can stand to touch you?" His voice dripped with distain.

Delenn blinked. "What?"

"It is a Human. I knew it." He abruptly switched into Adronato. "You're in love with a Human. You told me so before." Delenn's eyes widened in alarm as he reached out to put a hand on hers, the same gesture the hallucination of John had performed in her cell.

His grin was feral. "Does he know where to touch you?" he said as he leaned in and ran his fingers over the join between her temple and head crest. She jerked her head away in surprise at the sensation, half expecting to be struck again. The blow didn't come. Instead, the cold man backed off and licked his lips in anticipation. "Did you think changing the way you look would make him want you? You're even more a freak now than before."

Delenn was shaking now and her voice was almost a whisper. "I am as I was meant to me." Every part of her was screaming to get as far from this man as she could. His erratic behavior was cruel at best, and murderous at worst. She tried to take a deep breath but it ended up shallow and forced. _You will wait_. She had to remain calm. "Maybe I…I can help you," she said, her voice tinged with sympathy.

"You want to help me?" He laughed aloud. "Did you know that I fought in the Minbari war?" He began drifting closer, his voice low. "I got a lot of _first hand_ experience with the Minbari. I learned your languages, how you think, how to hurt you, how long it takes to starve one of you to death…"

Delenn's mouth was dry. "I am sorry for you to have experienced this."

"You're sorry for me!" he shouted. "This is rich. I could kill you right now, or take you straight to the Shadows. Why would you be sorry for me?"

Delenn held her head up high. She could see the anger bubbling behind his cold exterior now. "You are alone. When my people went mad we nearly wiped your race from the galaxy, but at least we were all mad together. We acted as one and we awoke from our madness together. But you have no one. You are alone in your madness. That is why I feel sorry for you."

The cold man snarled like an animal and fumbled with his baton. Delenn was ready for him though. By the time he found the switch she had hit the release on her restraints and pushed off hard against the wall behind her. His face betrayed his surprise as she collided with him and then kicked away, the law of equal and opposite reaction propelling them in different directions. He hit the rear hatch of the shuttle just after she had slipped through the open door leading to the cockpit.

Delenn looked wildly at the unfamiliar controls in front of her, and hit what she hoped would close the door she had just come through. To her relief it slammed shut and she quickly locked it that way. She turned to assess the pilot's condition with a shaking hand.

He was dead. She really was alone. Delenn started as the cold man began pounding on the door. His muffled shouts spurred her to action. How long the door would hold, she couldn't know. She slid into the unoccupied co-pilot's chair and buckled herself in.

The flight controls were not arrayed as they would in a Minbari ship, but Delenn found rudimentary propulsion and sensors. The shuttle was drifting in an asteroid belt near a large planetoid. With a sigh of relief Delenn found the system's jump gate and began to lay in a course. She stopped abruptly when a warning light came on. The gate was activating. She stared unbelieving as the _White Star _exited it and began a sweep of the system.

* * *

"_Everything's gone to hell, John. You're on your own. God help us all."_

The screen went dark and Sheridan turned to Ivanova with a look of disbelief. "I should have known something like this was coming. First Delenn and now this, Clark's gone too far."

"What are we going to do about it?" Ivanova asked.

He gritted his teeth. "Martial Law. The order will come, but until then we proceed as we were before. I need you to lock down this station as tight as you can. Get Garibaldi to help. I need to talk to Horne first though. Clark's painted a big juicy target on the _Agamemnon_, so maybe we can get their help."

"I've never seen it this bad before."

"Neither have I, and I have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse."

* * *

Marcus sighed as the _White Star_ made yet another transition to normal space. He made a quick scan of the system they were in, nothing more exciting here than a star, some asteroids and a hunk of rock masquerading as a planet. He couldn't even remember why this system had a jump gate. There had been no indications that they were being followed or even tracked as they clumsily made their way to Ganymede. His taciturn companion made the trip no less frustrating. She was stranger than most telepaths he had met. Sure, they were all a little withdrawn but Lyta took that to an entirely new level. Every so often he thought she was saying something to him, but turned out to only be mumbling to herself. Personally, he couldn't imagine how a person could be constantly bombarded by the mind-generated energy that the average being put out and still stay sane. Maybe it wasn't so odd that she seemed to talk to herself, maybe it was just a way to cope. When you got right down to it, he'd probably had worse company.

He turned to Lyta with a smart remark on his tongue about this being a waste of time, but it died before making it any further. Lyta was sitting ramrod straight at her station, her eyes wide. "There's something here," she said in a half whisper.

Marcus frowned as he examined his instruments. "Sensors haven't picked up anything. Are you sure—" His question trailed off as a wavering blip appeared on the screen. "Wait, there it is. Hiding in the asteroid belt, whatever it is, it's small. I think we can get a better view." Marcus pulled the _White Star_ into a turn that brought them parallel with the belt in an effort to get a scan free from some of the debris.

"Marcus wait—" Lyta began, alarmed. She was cut off abruptly as the _White Star_ shook around them.

Marcus let out a stream of expletives in Adronato, as he threw the ship around in an effort to reverse their course. A much larger vessel was now bearing down on them from the shadow of the planet. The _White Star_ rocked again under fire. "I guess it would be too much for them to exchange a few pleasantries first." The attacking ship appeared on the viewer and his breath caught in his throat. Unlike the chunky look of an EA designed ship this one was long and smooth, almost dolphin like. Roughly the size of a Destroyer, it's hull plating was the mottled black of a Shadow vessel. Long curving struts reached gracefully forward from the front ventral section of the ship like unnaturally long fingers grasping at space. It was like no ship design Marcus had ever seen before. "Is that a Shadow ship?"

"What do you think?" Lyta shouted. She made a face. "It is at least partially. There are humans on board, though." The small craft they had originally picked up on sensors darted out of the asteroid field heading directly for them. A stray round meant for the _White Star_ clipped it and it spiraled away towards the planet below.

Marcus cursed again as he tried to keep the larger ship from pinning them against the planet. "Lyta, I need you to take weapons control."

Lyta looked terrified. "Please don't make me do this," she whispered.

Another barrage struck the ship. "Bugger! Lyta now is not the time to decide you'd rather not have come along." Marcus' hands flew over the controls in an effort to keep the ship out of the line of fire. "Really, any time you'd like to shoot back would be fine with me."

Lyta threw her head back and cried out. Marcus glanced over at her in alarm trying to keep an eye on their attacker at the same time. Lyta was still on her feet, but entire body was trembling. Marcus couldn't see anything but white in her eyes. _Great, now she's having some sort of seizure. Why couldn't it have been Susan who wanted to tag along? She would have been a lot more fun than a telepath. _"What the—?" Marcus stared in shock at the viewer. The other ship had come to a shuddering halt. It drifted in space with a slight off axis rotation.

Lyta's voice resonated throughout the bridge. "We are leaving. Return to Babylon Five."

Marcus was now certain that Lyta was completely off her rocker. "Just a minute! What the hell is going on here?"

Lyta turned without further explanation and darted off the bridge. An emergency bulkhead closed behind her, isolating Marcus there. Recovering from his shock at her bizarre behavior, he palmed the lock release. Nothing happened. With growing dread he turned back to the controls to find that he was locked out of all systems. "No! No, no no no no! Stupid bloody ship!" He looked at the viewscreen with horror as he saw the newly classified Human-Shadow vessel right it's rotation and begin to move. Unbidden, the _White Star_ began moving out of system. The larger ship turned to bear down on it just as the smaller vessel opened a jump point and leapt into hyperspace.

* * *

Ivanova found Sheridan just outside MedLab. "What did Horne have to say?"

"He'll help, but as long as the _Agamemnon _is a target they can't stay here. Horne plans on transferring as many of his crew to us as he can. Most of them I already know."

"That's good. Accommodations will be tight for a little while, but if they can be trusted we can cope." Ivanova frowned. "There's something else, isn't there."

Sheridan sighed. "I keep thinking about what Kosh said. He…he said I had to find Delenn. Now I think I know where she might be, but I can't leave in the middle of all this."

"Has Kosh said anything else?"

"No, I don't know where he's gotten to, and he's not responding to any of my messages."

Susan sighed. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but Garibaldi and I can hold down the fort here. Martial law isn't going to be an easy thing for everyone to swallow, but we'll cover your absence as long as we can. Just do me one favor?"

"What's that?"

"Come back in one piece."

* * *

Lyta maneuvered her borrowed transport down to the planet through the meager atmosphere following in the stray shuttle's wake. The Human-Shadow vessel in orbit above seemed blind to her presence. The small craft had crashed on a barren, windswept plain. Lyta landed the transport and barely waited for hatch to open before she was moving towards the wreck.

The shuttle appeared mostly intact, but the nose had dug itself into the dirt. Lyta waded through the debris to the rear hold. The air was clear, thin, and cold. Much as Earth's was several thousands of feet above sea level. She could hear the wind whistling around the remains of the craft. Someone else might be concerned about the less than hospitable conditions the shuttle had crashed in, but after the modifications the Vorlon's had made to her, Lyta felt like she fit right in.

Delenn was in the forward compartment of the ship. Lyta could feel her mind ahead, wavering like a candle flame. She wasn't conscious, but she was alive. There had been a second mind there when Lyta first began feeling her way into the craft, one that felt a shard of ice, but it was gone now. Whoever it had been must have died because one minute it was there, the next it was gone. Intent on her goal Lyta didn't give it a second thought.

Lyta reached the end of the compartment and palmed the door release. It groaned once and then slid open half way. She edged past it and up to the controls. Despite the hard landing the restraints had held. Delenn was still strapped into the co-pilot's chair. Blood oozed from her temple, but Lyta wasn't sure where she could have hit it. It didn't matter. She unfastened the harness and pulled Delenn towards her. Staggering slightly she managed to move the Minbari Ambassador to the floor.

"Shit." There was no way she was going to carry Delenn out of here on her own. She knelt down beside her, and pushed lightly at the edge of her consciousness. The gentle probing had the desired effect and Delenn's eyelids fluttered as she began to come around. Lyta smiled in relief.

Without warning something heavy connected squarely with the back of Lyta's head. She went down with a moan on top of Delenn. "Try and get in my head will you. Goddamn teeps! It doesn't work with me, I've learned better!" As he spoke, the cold man lifted his baton and struck the back of her skull twice more. With a hiss he flipped the switch that powered the electrodes on the end of his weapon.

To the casual observer Lyta appeared human. The best medical testing the Earth Alliance had would proclaim it to be true, a telepath certainly, but still human. That testing couldn't reveal that Lyta had been altered. Changed by the Vorlons in ways she couldn't even understand, changed to suit their purposes. Pain blazed through her body as the baton released a barrage of energy. At first it was simply the pulse from the shock stick, but it quickly became more as Kosh was forced from her. Lyta screamed.

The cold man dropped the baton in surprise as the cabin filled with light. It was like a living thing he thought dimly to himself as the light surged from her eyes and mouth. For a moment he saw ever-shifting colors sparkling radiantly, then he was forced to look away. It was simply too bright. He brought a hand up to his eyes and tried to back away slowly. Instead he found he couldn't move.

For the first time in a long time he was the one who was afraid. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. People were supposed to be afraid of_ him_. Whatever the glowing thing was though, it wasn't people. And it was in his mind.

"No!" he choked out. Images, feelings, and memories flew by as the light pierced his entire being. He felt as though he had been pinned like a bug and the light thing was examining him at its leisure. It peeled away layer after layer exposing the sick and cruel nature at his core. Finally there was nothing left to hide behind. The Vorlon said a single word. "Burn."

The cold man screamed for an eternity or maybe only a second before he fell to the floor lifeless. His baton rolled away into a corner.

Lyta managed to pull herself off Delenn, and sat with her head cradled in her hands. "Dear God that hurt."

"Yes," Kosh said.

There was something sticky and warm on her hands. She looked at them. They were coated in red. She felt herself slowly slip away into unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you to anyone who is still around reading this. And thanks always to the fantastic Laurie M.  
_

Groggily, Delenn watched Kosh emerge from Lyta's body. She heard the cold man scream and saw him fall to the floor, his death mask one of terror. She felt Lyta's weight lift off her and she was able to breath deeply again. With a moan she inched her way into a sitting position.

The cabin around her was in shambles. She looked at up at Kosh with a mix of bewilderment and joy. "How—" she began.

"Unimportant."

"Lyta," Delenn said as she turned to see to the woman slumped against the cabin wall. "She is hurt. Is there anything you can do?" Blood mixed with her hair, intensifying the color and matting it to her skull. Delenn struggled to her feet. "There must be emergency medical supplies here somewhere."

Kosh put a glowing hand on either side of her head. "She will live."

A light blinking on the flight control panel caught Delenn's eye and her fear returned. It was an automated distress signal. She had no idea how to shut it down. "The Shadows. They will find us here."

"Yes."

If the Shadows did not suspect an alliance before, when they found a Minbari and a Vorlon together there would be no doubt. Delenn's anger flared. Everything she had been through had been for nothing. She had given herself up in an effort to keep the Army of Light secret and safe. "You should not have come," she said heatedly. "When they find us everything we are working for will be destroyed!"

"Unwise."

She frowned. Did he mean that she was unwise in questioning him or that he was unwise in coming? Perhaps both. Nothing a Vorlon said could ever be taken at face value. Delenn sighed as she brought herself back under control. Her anger served no one. She smiled faintly. "I_ am_ very glad to see you."

Kosh said nothing. That he had taken the trouble to come spoke a great deal.

Delenn blinked, she was beginning to feel lightheaded. She looked at the half open door with growing comprehension. She quickly stood and tried the control panel. It failed to respond. Whatever energy was left in that particular damaged system had been used to open it in the first place. "The atmosphere is too thin here." Belatedly, she began to casting about for an oxygen mask. Sinking to her knees, she finally spied the emergency equipment tucked away beneath the flight consol. Her fingers felt thick as she fumbled with the straps of the breather. It didn't fit right over her bonecrest, but she held it to her face with one hand and breathed deeply. Oxygen flooded her lungs and the haze at the edges of her vision dissipated.

"They are coming," Kosh intoned. He then took Lyta into his arms, and with astonishing grace for his apparent size, slid through the half open doorway. Delenn pulled herself to her feet and followed.

The cold outside the wreck hit Delenn like a jolt from the pain-givers and she stumbled. _Valen, this was an inhospitable place._ She paused briefly to look around and take in her surroundings. They were on a vast plain with little to see but sky. In the distance she could see something that looked like ruined buildings, but she couldn't imagine who would have found such an environment habitable.

Kosh turned halfway towards her as he continued to the other ship. "The air is poisoned, do not linger."

Delenn came back to herself and picked up her pace. When she finally made it into the transport her legs gave out and she slid down the wall. Kosh sealed them in and she dropped the mask from her face. "Where are we? What happened here?"

Kosh looked at her enigmatically before answering. "This was a human colony before your war."

Delenn held Kosh's gaze for a moment and then looked away. She had more pressing concerns at the moment than her guilt over past actions.

A thoughtful look crossed her face as she sat catching her breath. "Lyta was acting as your…host? A living encounter suit?"

"In a way."

Delenn willed strength back into her exhausted muscles and stood. She pulled a medical kit from the bulkhead and began to clean away the blood on Lyta's face. "I do not suppose she can now."

"No. She is damaged."

Delenn nodded. "What about me? Could I carry you?"

The Vorlon was silent for a moment before responding. "Dangerous."

Her lips thinned. "Regardless, they must not find you here."

Kosh's expression was as inscrutable outside his encounter suit as it was in it.

Delenn looked at Lyta, her resolve hardening. "It must be done."

-------

Lennier sighed and stood, his attempts at meditation had failed to bring him the peace he sought. He had stayed in Delenn's quarters after speaking with Captain Sheridan and sending word to the Grey Council. He just couldn't bring himself to leave. Of course, he wanted to be out there trying to find her, but since he was trapped on Babylon 5 waiting for the Minbari cruiser to arrive, he could think of no where else to go.

The conversation he was going to have with the representative of the Council was not one he was looking forward too, but his sense of duty was strong. He would serve Delenn in this, no matter where she was.

The comm. chimed and he took a moment to calm himself before answering. The stern face of a Minbari dressed in the garb of the Warrior Caste appeared on the screen.

"You are Lennier," the Minbari began rudely.

If Lennier was bothered by the lack of ritual politeness he did not let it show, "I am." He bowed to the viewscreen. "Whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

"I am Tiret, captain of the cruiser _Rosh Ver'sim_. We will be arriving in three hours. You are to be ready for transport at that time."

Lennier's calm façade broke. Were they calling him home so soon? "What? I do not understand…there is much work here yet that needs to be done."

Tiret let out his breath in a huff. "You have been called to an audience with the Grey Council. Understanding is not required, only obedience!"

Lennier dropped his head. "Of course, Shai Alyt. Forgive me; I spoke out of turn. I will be ready when you arrive."

The screen winked off, and Lennier stood stunned. Clearly, his message had not been sufficient. He was going to have to explain this mess to the Council in person.

-------

Delenn's heart jumped as Kosh began to change. For a moment she regretted her decision. He was already impossibly large and imposing in the small ship, and he seemed to get even larger. His solid form melted into a pool of living light, and she tensed involuntarily as he flowed towards her. Standing stock still, she watched until the light completely filled her field of vision. She closed her eyes against the brightness, but even then she could see it. Suddenly it seemed to be suffusing every pore of her body. She was drowning in it.

She tried to breathe and found she could not. She tried to move, and then tried to scream. It was as though her very spirit was being pushed down, out of the way. So much so that she no longer had control of her physical body. Delenn clawed desperately, fighting to maintain some part of herself. There was just so much of Kosh. How anyone could carry this much was beyond her comprehension. Her respect for the redheaded telepath jumped exponentially.

Then she realized there was music. She could hear everything and everything vibrated. She felt the chaotic notes of an exploding star, heard the heartbeat of the Great Machine on Epsilon 3. It was a jumble that she could not make sense of for more than a moment. All she could comprehend were snippets of something impossibly large. The universe seemed small, just a playground. She pushed harder through the ocean of Kosh's consciousness, kicking furiously towards the surface.

Slowly, bits of the chaotic mess began coming together as her viewpoint began to align with Kosh's. Everything in existence was a piece to be moved, an outcome to be calculated. And there, amidst the glowing backdrop of an infinite number of stars was a point of light that felt familiar. It pulled at her, and she struggled towards it in response. Her heart jumped into her throat. _John._ It _was_ John Sheridan, but not as she had ever seen him before. Even when she had started the Sleep Watching Ritual aboard the _White Star_ she had not seen this. This was not the John she had seen when his day-to-day concerns had been eased in sleep. Nor was this the John that walked the corridors of Babylon 5 everyday. This was John as pure potential, everything that he was and everything that he could be, all at once. It was as blinding as Kosh himself was. Was this how Kosh saw everyone or just John? The magnitude of it was overwhelming and in her amazement Delenn forgot to fight. For a moment she drifted serenely.

Then without warning she was catapulted to the surface, back into her body in a rush. The paralysis that had held her relented and she could breathe again. Her lungs burned and found she was trembling from the effort of simply drawing breath. She wasn't sure if she was ever going to be able to get up again.

Delenn couldn't determine exactly how long she lay on the floor, but at some point human soldiers dressed in black found the two women in the hold of the tiny transport. Both were barely conscious. Delenn braced herself for the violence she was sure would come, but none did. She and Lyta were carried out almost gently, but she blacked out again before making it back to their ship.

-------

Sheridan sat up in his temporary quarters aboard the _Agamemnon_ and shook his head. Even when he managed to get some rest Delenn haunted his dreams. This time she had been with Kosh and, strangely, both of them had been talking to him at the same time. It was so discordant; he couldn't make out what either of them was saying.

He stretched and checked the time. They'd be at the drop off point soon. The military base and colony the _Agamemnon_ was currently on route for was a supply transfer point. He was certain that the ships supplying Nightwatch's little secret were moving through there. All he had to do was catch a ride with one of them. Simple, right? _Right._

He pulled on the non-descript jumpsuit of a dockworker. He had removed the patches that would normally indicate his base of operations, in this case Babylon 5. Finding the appropriate ones that would help him blend in might be a bit challenging, but he had a feeling that the people he was looking for didn't go in for much in the way of identifying marks. He glanced at the Nightwatch band Garibaldi had acquired for him with disgust but pocketed it, just in case.

Sheridan glanced around the room a final time and picked up his small duffel bag. Satisfied that he hadn't forgotten anything he headed toward the _Agamemnon's _docking bay. The lift made one stop on it's way to lower deck and he found himself sharing his ride with Captain Horne.

"We've arrived at Capsis Prime. The shuttle is fueled and ready to take you to the port. Are you sure there's nothing else we can do for you?"

The door to the lift opened onto the docking bay floor. Sheridan smiled as they stepped off. "Don't get killed before I get back."

Horne laughed aloud. "We'll be waiting in Hyperspace for your signal. We won't hang around long enough to—"

The ship bucked around them with a roar, nearly sending both men to the deck. Horne slapped his communicator. "Bridge, Report!"

A thin voice came through link of his hand. "The _Orestes_, the _Hydra_, and the _Delphi_ were waiting for us when we dropped out of hyperspace. They are calling for our immediate and unconditional surrender."

"Damn it!" Horne swore. "They must really want us badly if they sent three destroyers after us."

Sheridan didn't blink. "Take us back into Hyperspace. I'll find another way to get to the _Casus Belli. _Taking on three destroyers is suicide."

"Get on that goddamned shuttle. The longer we have to wait here for you to leave, the more of a beating we'll take." Horne shoved Sheridan in the direction of the waiting transport, and began issuing orders to the bridge as he headed back to the lift.

Sheridan grimaced and boarded the waiting shuttle. He wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with Horne. As hard as it was to remember at times, this wasn't his command anymore. The pilot was ready for him. No sooner had he strapped in than they were blasting out of the bay, leaving the rotating section of the destroyer behind. A squadron of starfuries cut across their path and the pilot threw the shuttle into a sickening spiral toward the planet surface.

The _Agamemnon_ was using herself and the fighters as a screen. The shuttle was invisible to the other destroyers as it made its way down. Sheridan cursed as fire lit up the _Aggie_ in several places. "They won't have time for you to make it back, Lieutenant. You'll have to stay planetside. Is there a way to disguise the shuttle?"

"Why would I need to do that, sir? The transponder code has already been changed. This shuttle belongs to the EAS _Tauron_."

"Good." Sheridan glanced back at the _Aggie_. She had lost rotation and was slowly trying to pull away from the fight, but the other three destroyers had her pinned against the gravity well of the planet. Sheridan watched with mounting horror as she turned nose down and began falling toward the surface. His vision of the fight faded as the atmosphere grew thicker around them. They landed at the port and Sheridan scrambled from the shuttle to look at the sky. The _Agamemnon_ had left a contrail of fire in her wake. Suddenly, there was a tiny flash high above them. Sheridan prayed that they had made a jump to Hyperspace, it was better than accepting the more likely alternative.

-------

The ceiling was white. No, it wasn't the ceiling; it was a light. Slowly, Delenn's eyes found their focus. She was in some sort of Medlab, lying on a table. Tubes and leads ran from her arms and chest to machines nearby. She caught a glimpse of the heart monitor. It seemed normal, but every few seconds the clear screen turned to a flash of static before returning to normal. Would they realize that Kosh was here? Delenn took a deep breath and tried to get a better feel for her surroundings.

The Shadow she had felt before was there again. This time however, her sense of it was not a vague realization of its presence, but a clear identification of what and where it was. She could see now that this Shadow was actually part of the ship. Organic technology, similar in some ways to the technology the Vorlons used. Strangely, she felt no sense of illness that seemed to go hand in hand with their kind. She wondered if Kosh was actively sharing his view, or if carrying him merely altered her normal perceptions.

Delenn tried to lift an arm only to find it was fastened to the table surface. She needed to get out, find Lyta. She pulled harder, but the restraint held fast. Delenn growled in frustration. Without warning she felt Kosh surge to the forefront. The restraint snapped, and the machines registering her vitals shorted out. Kosh ripped the leads from her body and zipped the coveralls closed. Delenn was merely a passenger in her own body.

Lyta lay on a table at the other end of the room. Delenn watched as Kosh removed the sensors from Lyta's body and removed her restraints. He put her hand to Lyta's head and Delenn had the oddest sensation of feeling Kosh extend beyond her body. Suddenly it felt as if she were watching from both her body and the telepath's body lying on the table at the same time. It made her want to vomit. She pulled away with all the strength she could muster. Kosh retreated suddenly and Delenn fell to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.

Lyta was on her feet faster than Delenn would have believed for one who had so recently regained consciousness. "Delenn! Are you okay?"

"I do not know." She rose shakily to her feet. "I am not accustomed to such an arrangement."

Lyta gave Delenn a hard look before comprehension flooded her face. "You're carrying Kosh! Are you out of your mind? It could have killed you!"

"At the time it seemed the best option. Though at this point I am open to other suggestions." The slight Minbari leaned heavily on the table. "I believe it would be most prudent for us to find somewhere to hide before we do anything else, however."

"I couldn't agree more. Here, lean on me."

Delenn gratefully allowed Lyta to rest her arm over a shoulder and the two made their way towards the door. "We are on a Shadow ship." She said as they began down an empty corridor.

"I know." Lyta shuddered. "I can hear it."

-------

Capsis Prime was a bustling port and Sheridan pulled his cap lower over his face as he melded into the throng. He let his shoulders slump and hoped that no one would question his presence too closely. Between Garibaldi's nose for sniffing out anything remotely suspicious and Ivanova's rigid organization the three of them had pinpointed Capsis Prime as the "shadow" Shadow organization's transfer point for supplies. Sheridan felt like he hadn't contributed much to the whole process except a gut hunch, but now that he was here it felt even stronger.

He couldn't help compare this place to Babylon 5 as he wandered among the crowd. Despite the fact that it was a planetside port rather than a space born one, the day-to-day operations would be very similar to those he was all too familiar with. He was counting on it. If he didn't see any dockworkers affiliated with Nightwatch, he was going to have to break into the computer system to track down the shipment he was certain would be transferred through here. Still, in spite of the similarities something just didn't feel right.

Sheridan paused for a moment and looked around. Then it hit him. Everyone here was human. He had grown so used to dealing with the multitude of races represented on Babylon 5 that it seemed odd not to see the occasional Drazi or Minbari walking by. No Minbari. It was more than strange. Before his posting at Babylon 5 he wouldn't have given it a second thought. Now even a passing mention of the race set alight something in his chest. Delenn, the thought of her was a flame that burned more intensely than a sun. He was going to find her, or die trying.

Two men wearing increasingly familiar black and yellow bands shouldered past him without a second glance. Sheridan changed his course unobtrusively and fell in a few steps behind them. He tailed them through the docks to an area marked with glaring restricted signs. He ducked back into the doorway of a storage closet and watched them scan their security cards, which gave them access to the heavy door blocking the way. They passed through and he put on his own armband.

Casually he walked up to the door and took a look at the locking mechanism. He frowned. It was going to take too long to try to crack the security. Someone would be coming in or out before he made any headway. The sound of footsteps drew his attention back to the corridor. He watched as another similarly dressed fellow rounded the corner.

"Hey!" The man broke into a trot. "What are you doing here?"

Sheridan let the frustration he had been feeling for the last week spill into his voice. "Heading back to the mess. I must've left my card there. Stupid."

The man's eyes took in the Nightwatch band and he nodded. "Yeah well, I wouldn't mention it to anyone else. You better go get it. You'll catch hell if any of the higher ups find out."

Sheridan forced a knowing smile. "No kidding." He turned as if to head back the way he had come and then stopped. "Or maybe I could just borrow yours." In mid-sentence Sheridan swung at the man. He connected squarely with the unprepared man's jaw and dropped him like a ton of bricks.

Grabbing the fallen man underneath his shoulders, Sheridan dragged him back to the mostly empty closet. A perfunctory search of the man's pockets revealed his security card. Sheridan pulled him further into the small room and began binding his arms and legs with a roll of cord hanging on the wall. With a certain amount of satisfaction he pulled the Nightwatch band from the man's arm and gagged him with it.

Satisfied that his unlucky victim wouldn't be raising an alarm anytime soon, Sheridan pulled the door closed behind him. He walked cautiously back to the heavy door. Taking a deep breath he placed the card against the security scanner. The door opened with a 'click' and Sheridan pushed inside.

He wasn't entirely sure what he had been expecting but it certainly wasn't the enormous, beat up looking freighter that sat being loaded on the docking pad. It had clearly been old even during the Dilgar war. If there had ever been paint or other distinguishing marks on her, they had long since worn away. Sheridan couldn't even make out the registry on her bow. The behemoth had been designed for both atmospheric and space flight, but the rusting panels of the heat shield made him wonder if it ought to be doing either anymore. If Nightwatch wanted to avoid notice, the only attention this ship would draw was as an eyesore.

Tearing his eyes from the massive freighter, Sheridan took in the bustle on the docking pad. Twenty men in the same dark, non-descript coveralls Sheridan was wearing were moving pallets from their staging places on the pad to the belly of the ancient freighter.

Unobtrusively, he slipped between two pallets and stuffed his duffel between the crates of one. Several unused loaders were leaning against the wall. Hoping that no one would stop him he picked one up and began moving his newly modified pallet towards the line of waiting loaders. Despite his concern, no one challenged him. Everyone seemed to be focused on getting the cargo aboard as quickly as possible.

Once on board he secured his pallet, reclaimed his duffel and slipped back behind several other stacked crates. He moved deeper into the cargo hold. The outside of the ship looked like a rust bucket, but the inside had been heavily remodeled. He noted air vents along the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. This section would be pressurized during their flight.

He sat crouched for several hours as the loading was finished. When the great hatch was finally sealed shut the muscles of his legs did not want to respond. He struggled to his feet and began unpacking his bag. Carefully, he secured himself to the wall of the cargo hold with a zero gravity harness and settled in for the duration of the journey.

-------

"Someone's coming!" Lyta pulled Delenn back down the corridor and around a corner. They were making slow, haphazard progress through the Human-Shadow ship, stopping or changing directions when Lyta sensed someone approaching. She had stretched her mind as far as she dared while still avoiding the notice of the Shadow being at the heart of the ship and the strain was beginning to show. Sweat stood out on her forehead and now she was leaning on Delenn as much as Delenn was leaning on her.

Lyta was worried. She knew what it was like to carry Kosh, but the Vorlons had practically redesigned her for the purpose. For the most part Delenn seemed to be okay, but without warning a blank look would come over her face and she would just stop. It only lasted for a few moments, but Lyta couldn't spare the energy to find out what was happening for fear that even a moment's distraction on her part would lead to their discovery. What if Kosh was slowly destroying Delenn's mind?

They turned down yet another corridor and waited as the sound of footsteps grew louder and then faded away again. Delenn seemed to be herself. "We must find a place to rest. You cannot go on like this." The telepath was trembling with the effort of keeping herself so extended.

Lyta nodded and pointed down the corridor. "A little further." They passed several doors before Lyta stopped. "Here. I don't think anyone will be coming by here for a while." The door slid open revealing a small barracks style room. Two sets of bunked beds were attached to the far wall. Next to the door was a tall armoire made of the same ubiquitous grey metal that Delenn was becoming very tired of. A shallow sink opposite finished the décor.

The door slid shut behind them and Delenn sat down gratefully on one of the low bunks. Lyta practically collapsed next to her. "Is there something I can do to help you?"

Lyta looked at Delenn and laughed. The Minbari Ambassador looked as bad as she felt. "I should be asking you that. I still don't know how you're managing Kosh. It just shouldn't be possible."

Delenn grimaced and put a hand to her forehead. "I cannot explain it satisfactorily. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on matters at hand. I fear that if it continues, I will not…" Delenn paused mid-sentence as her face went slack.

"Delenn!" Lyta sat up sharply and tried a gentle probe into the Minbari's mind. Immediately, she was rebuffed. All she felt was a wall of Kosh stretching infinitely in every direction. Lyta backed out quickly and found Delenn staring purposefully at her. "I don't think it's safe for you to carry him anymore."

"Are you well enough to do so?"

Lyta bit her lip. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "But even if I'm not—"

Delenn shook her head. "If Kosh were to leave me I fear I would be incapable of taking him back again. It would be foolish to risk his discovery if you are unable to carry him." She closed her eyes. "He is trying not to overwhelm me. Much of the time it is like…like…"

"An itch that you can't quite scratch," Lyta volunteered.

Delenn smiled at the knowing look on Lyta's face. "Yes, something like that. Other times," she sighed and Lyta saw the exhaustion and strain of the last week seeping into her features. "Other times it is terrifying. It is like being slowly suffocated." Delenn looked away, as she felt her control start to slip.

Lyta frowned in frustration. Despite their shared experience she had never felt that way when she carried Kosh. True, she had been physically altered, but there was more to it than that. There had to be something she could do. Then it hit her. "Maybe I _can_ help! I mean, I can't change you like the Vorlons changed me, but I know what it should be like. How the mind reacts to that kind of shared awareness. If you let me I can reinforce some of your walls, even try to forge some new pathways. It might make it easier for you to carry him."

Delenn glanced at their surroundings and then nodded her consent. Lyta took both of Delenn's hands in hers and let the physical contact draw her into the Delenn's consciousness. A few surface thoughts flitted past her, but Delenn had a remarkably organized mind for a non-telepath. She knew it was not uncommon among the Minbari, but it was impressive nonetheless. Lyta had half expected chaos.

Finally she honed in on the place she needed to be. She found Delenn sitting alone in front of a single candle, surrounded on all sides by nothing but an empty darkness. It was odd and slightly unnerving, Lyta thought. Most people filled their mental scenery with pleasant things and familiar places. Delenn had focused everything into that candle, one dancing point of light. Maybe she would ask her about that later. For now she needed to focus on the task at hand but she didn't want to go barging through Delenn's mind like a battering ram.

"Delenn," Lyta began. "Can you show me where Kosh is?"

"Of course." She rose from her position on the floor.

Lyta felt something cold move past her in a rush and was certain that the darkness wasn't as empty as she had thought. She turned around quickly with a look of alarm on her face, but try as she might she could see nothing beyond the little flame flickering at her feet. "What's out there?"

Delenn's hand came to rest upon her arm. "Nothing that need be confronted just now." Lyta didn't look convinced. "It is alright. Without the darkness how would we ever comprehend the light?"

The grip on Lyta's arm became tighter and Delenn gasped. Something akin to an earthquake began and attempted to throw them from their feet. Streaks of light began to appear like cracks in the darkness. Delenn let out a moan and dropped to her knees. Lyta could feel Kosh pressing in all around them as the cracks widened, compressing Delenn's space tighter and tighter. If this continued, there would be nowhere for her to go. No amount of reinforcing Delenn's barriers would withstand this.

She could feel Kosh's familiar resonance; it didn't feel intentionally dangerous…just big. In a moment of inspiration she reached out to one of the growing cracks. Carefully she began drawing tendrils of Kosh into Delenn's space and anchoring them there. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Delenn's mind that Kosh was a natural part of it or if she was trying to convince Kosh's that Delenn was an extension of his own. Either way she hoped it would ease the conflict between the two. When she finally stopped she sat back to look at her handiwork. Great glowing golden tree trunks stretched between the cracks in Delenn's psyche and the 'ground' where Lyta stood. They were odd looking trees. Rather than having leaves at the top, the branches broadened smoothly into roots in a dizzying mirror effect. Most importantly, though, the tremors had ceased.

Lyta turned to Delenn to find her once again sitting in front of the candle. "Are you still with me?"

"I have always been here." Delenn and Kosh spoke at the same time.

Lyta bit her lip; there were bound to be repercussions of her hasty rearrangement. She wasn't sure how long it would take for Delenn and Kosh both to adjust. She only hoped it wouldn't be too long. Taking a deep breath she withdrew from their minds.

Delenn still sat rigidly upright as Lyta released her hands. Her breathing was slow and steady. Lyta leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She knew she ought to check the area again for unwanted company, but she didn't have the energy.

Her rest was interrupted when an alarm began to ring through the cabin and the ship beyond. Lyta jolted upright. Delenn had not moved but her eyes snapped open, iris and pupil obliterated by light. Lyta watched as the glow of the Vorlon faded away. Delenn's tones were normal as she spoke, "I believe our absence has been discovered."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Eventually everything seems to collide.**

It just wasn't fair. Ivanova narrowed her eyes as she watched the Minbari cruiser carrying Lennier activate the jump gate and leap into hyperspace. Left behind again. Everyone else was off gallivanting through the galaxy doing something and she was stuck at home babysitting. Those on duty in C&C were conscientiously avoiding her glare. Everyone knew to stay out of her way when her ire was up. She frowned. Since no one here was being foolish enough to give her the opportunity to vent her frustration, she decided she might as well go be frustrated at some paperwork. "I'll be in the Captain's Office if anyone needs me," she said to the room. Lieutenant Corwin's eyes flicked in her direction; no one else's head so much as twitched.

As she turned the corner in the hallway she ran straight into an equally frustrated Garibaldi. "Damn it Michael, are you trying to kill me?" she practically exploded. She knew it wasn't fair, but it felt good to let off a little stream.

"We need to talk," he said through his teeth.

"Do I need to be on the floor to do that, or can we have one of those civilized conversation where we sit it chairs?" she sniped back.

Garibaldi glared at her as he gave her a hand up. "Very funny."

"Who's laughing?" she grumbled, rubbing a sore elbow. Garibaldi did not look amused. "Fine," she sighed, giving up. "Step into my parlor." Ivanova gestured to the Captain's office.

As soon as she had crossed the threshold the Chief of Security turned on her. "Nightwatch is taking over station security. On President Clark's orders."

"What?!" Ivanova looked slightly stunned.

"I want them stopped. They can't just waltz in here and take my team away from me!"

"Wait…wait, wait!" She threw her hands up. "What exactly do you want me to do about it?"

"Kick the whole lot of them off station," Garibaldi said emphatically.

Ivanova shook her head. "How—no, never mind. Listen to yourself for just a minute, Michael. If they're really acting under orders from Clark, what do you think is going to happen to us when we go up against them? Do you really think EarthGov will just stand by and let us do whatever we please?"

Garibaldi looked incensed. "I thought this was the whole point of our 'Conspiracy of Light', or whatever the hell the Captain is calling it. Stand up to Clark and his new-born Gestapo."

"Yes, but it's a conspiracy, not a revolution. I'm Russian; I ought to know the difference. I promised Captain Sheridan I'd keep this place in one piece while he was gone. That does _not_ include getting all of us court-martialed."

"I know it goes against the grain, but if we don't do something about this, there won't be much left for the Captain to come back to."

Ivanova rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on. "How many members of Nightwatch there are on station? Do you even have a plan for this?"

Garibaldi leaned in closer, a smirk appearing on his face. "Well, I did have a little chat with G'kar…"

*************

The bridge of the White Star was bathed in the red light of hyperspace. Marcus had wedged himself into an open panel in order to have a polite discussion with some of the wiring there. "Really, the nerve of her. What do I look like, a delivery boy?" he complained.

He shook his head and pulled a bundle of filament loose. "Oh, I know. I know exactly how you feel. Drug out here and then…" He paused as he tugged out another bundle, "…abandoned." He looked over his work for a moment, and then started haphazardly connecting wires.

"Used! Used like a piece of machinery," he went on angrily. There was a large spark as he crossed the last two wires and he winced as it singed his eyebrows. The lights went out. "Damn."

Marcus groped for a relay in the darkness. He reconnected it and circuitry began coming on one panel at a time. In a matter of moments the bridge was fully lit again. "Ha!" he cried to no one in particular as he pulled himself to his feet. "Who's the sneaky, clever bastard now?"

He had finally managed to override whatever lockout Lyta had put in place. The jury rig had worked, but it wasn't going to win him any speed records. Or any awards for neatness, he thought, eyeing the pile of wiring strewn on the floor. Lyta seemed to know her way around a Vorlon-Minbari hybrid ship, he'd give her that, but he was no slouch either. After his first introduction to the _White Star_ he had gone over her schematics until he was sure he knew her inside and out. "You just never know when tricks like these will come in handy," he congratulated himself.

Reversing the ship's course Marcus pushed the sensors to their maximum limit; his eyes peeled for the Shadow-Human ship, the tiny shuttle, or the small transport Lyta had left in. He was half way back to the system he had so unwillingly left when he got a blip. He slammed his hand down with a whoop. Another spark popped loudly in the wires below and he patted the surface of the console, a sheepish smile on his face. "Sorry about that."

The blip coalesced into the dark form of the _Casus Belli_. Marcus brought his ship to a halt and cautiously watched the other vessel's progress. It gave no indication it had registered the _White Star_ at all. When he was as certain as he could be that it wouldn't be turning to intercept, he matched the dark ship's heading. He hoped it was a safe enough distance. "All right then. Let's see where you're going."

*************

The _Casus Belli_ arrived late to its rendezvous. Hanging in space at its destination was a bulky, rusted-out freighter. To an outside observer the sleek, liquid lines of the Shadow-Human hybrid ship stood in stark contrast to the waiting vessel. The mismatched pair came together quite unexpectedly. The long tendrils of the hybrid slid into subtle grooves on the freighter's hull, pulling it closer. A thump resounded throughout the cargo area as the two ships finally halted and a brief hiss of air betrayed the slight change in pressure as the loading bay door began to open.

For the last several hours, the freighter had been thick with crewmembers sitting on their thumbs. Sheridan knew that his luck was wearing thin. He had narrowly avoided being caught up to now, but his odds of remaining undetected could not be good. He was relieved when the announcement to begin unloading was finally made over a loud speaker. If the crew was busy, they were less likely to notice him.

As soon as the cargo door opened wide enough, the loaders began pushing pallets through. Sheridan took a deep breath, pulled his cap low, and made his way toward the opening. The freighter was emptying everything; this was definitely his stop. The trouble was, no one else seemed to be exiting. The only things moving through the opening were the large supply crates, and it was too orderly here for him to hide in plain sight for very long.

The bay was more than half empty when he decided he couldn't wait anymore. Sheridan pushed off the crate he had been using as cover and dove for the opening just ahead of the next pallet in line. He heard someone shout as he slipped through the door. He only worried about it for the two seconds his momentum lasted before his stomach jumped into his throat and he went crashing to the floor. Dazed, he had just enough presence of mind to roll out of the way of the crates that were following him.

After spending hours in zero gravity, its sudden return was playing hell with his equilibrium. His mind was reeling. He couldn't be planet-side, and if they had been docked with the rotating section of a ship or station the freighter would have experienced some of those g-forces. Where the hell was he?

He was in trouble. An alarm began ringing throughout the room. Several humans who had been directing crates stopped in surprise. Sheridan jumped to his feet and began to run. He had no idea where he was going, but he didn't much fancy staying there.

As he ran he tried to take in his surroundings. The corridors were the same familiar gunmetal gray that graced the interiors of all the destroyers in the Earthforce fleet. But the layout wasn't conforming to a pattern he was familiar with. The Minbari had artificial gravity on their ships, as did the _White Star_. He'd never seen a human vessel with anything like it though. This had to be the _Casus_ _Belli_.

He rounded a corner to see two soldiers, PPGs in hand, coming towards him. He came to an awkward halt fully expecting to be shot at. The first soldier gave him a disapproving look. "Why aren't you at your station?"

Remembering that he was dressed like a pallet jockey, Sheridan blinked and dropped his gaze. "Uh, I was on my way there right now…sir."

The soldiers waved him by and not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth he hurried past. The soldiers reached the junction behind him and one reported in on his hand link. Sheridan strained to hear as he walked away.

"Sweep of 1-4-F complete. No sign of them. Moving to 1-4-G."

A voice came through the link. "We have a new problem…a possible intruder…"

Sheridan didn't wait to hear anymore, he took off at a run.

*************

The alarm ringing throughout the cabin sent a brief wave of fear through Delenn. They would be found, and the cold man would be waiting for her. Ruthlessly she squashed the thought. The cold man was dead; Kosh had killed him. She would not allow herself to be subjected to the tortures of Nightwatch or the Shadows again. Not if she could help it, and she was not alone anymore.

She glanced at Lyta. Thanks to the telepath the overwhelming pressure of Kosh's presence had vanished, but in its place was a distracting parade of unfiltered thoughts and memories. She could hear Kosh almost constantly. Lyta had inadvertently given her a direct line into Kosh's mind. Images and feelings came to her uncontrolled and it was not a particularly pleasant experience. She took a deep breath, exhaling tremulously. Her control was shaky. What she really wanted to do now was to crawl into a corner and cry, but that hardly seemed helpful. Lyta was looking at her intently, her face creased with worry.

Delenn did her best to smile. "The pressure has lessened. I believe your attempt was helpful."

Lyta looked slightly relieved. "Good. Let me know if it gets worse again."

Delenn rose to her feet, and one of those unexpected thoughts from Kosh rose unbidden to the surface of her mind. Lyta could no longer read her mind. Kosh was effectively throwing off telepathic static, and it encompassed Delenn now too.

Lyta had risen as well and was rummaging diligently through the armoire near the door. Delenn watched her absentmindedly; the intrusive memories that flitted by garnered the majority of her concentration. After a minute Lyta turn to her with something in her hand. "Here put this on." Delenn looked at the navy blue cap with a puzzled look. "Oh," said Lyta, comprehending her confusion. "It's a hat. I thought it might help to cover your…" Lyta shrugged and pointed at the delicate bone crest circling the back of Delenn's head. "May I?"

Delenn nodded. Lyta moved closer to place it on Delenn's head, and Delenn flinched away from her uncontrollably. Lyta dropped her hand in surprise. "I'm sorry! What did I do?"

Making an effort to steady her breathing Delenn shook her head. "It is I who should apologize. I…I was not thinking clearly." Her hand was unsteady as she held it out to take the offending item. She swallowed; for a moment all she had seen was a suffocating, black mask coming towards her.

"Will this do?" Delenn asked. She had managed to tuck her hair awkwardly up, underneath the ball cap. It didn't fit well over her crest, but it was covered.

"It ought to make you a little more inconspicuous, anyway." Lyta said. "Now we just have to figure out how to get out of here."

Delenn was silent for a moment. They had been slowly making their way towards the shuttle bay before they had been forced to stop. "I am unsure there is anything aboard which can out-run this ship."

It was Lyta's turn to be silent. "I can stop it," she finally offered softly. "Not for very long, but maybe long enough." Her voice shook a little as she spoke.

Delenn gave her a long measuring look before nodding in agreement. Her connection to Kosh was showing her things faster than she could immediately comprehend, but she had no trouble understanding the kind of suffering Lyta was volunteering for. "Very well, let us go."

*************

Lennier swallowed. He stood alone outside the chamber of The Nine, resisting the urge to pace. Though there was no one in sight, he knew he was not unwatched. He knew they were merely keeping him waiting to unnerve him, but the tactic was effective nonetheless.

This summons had been unexpected. The response to his report had been clear: A vessel had been sent to investigate. But rather than investigating the Shadows and their conspirators it seemed they were investigating him. He had never stood before The Grey Council, and he wished that he were not here now. He wanted to be doing something straightforward and simple; he wanted to be out there searching for Delenn. Instead he was here, participating in a dangerous and complex game. He could only hope that if The Council was not already decided on the matter that he would be able to convince them to send help. All the while skirting around the Humans' involvement with Delenn's abduction. What was the expression that Captain Sheridan had used? It was like dancing.

Finally, a white-robed acolyte stepped out of the shadows. He bowed slightly. "You will be seen now." He gestured for Lennier to enter and backed away. Taking one last breath to try and center himself Lennier stepped through.

Immediately he was plunged into darkness. He could hear his footsteps echoing in a vast space. In the center of the great chamber stood a single column of light. Steeling himself, he strode forward purposefully. He blinked as he entered the blinding circle; he could make out nothing beyond it. He intoned the ritual greeting, "Summoned, I come."

There was a moment and then a voice came out in the darkness. "You are Lennier of the Third Fane of Chudomo."

Lennier nodded in assent.

"We have reviewed your report."

A long pause followed this statement. Lennier did not know if any further comment would be forthcoming so he spoke. "I believe that we must act quickly to secure Ambassador Delenn's safety," he said, struggling to rein in his emotion.

A harsher voice came from his right. "We _must_ do nothing."

Lennier opened his mouth to protest but the first voice spoke again, pacifying, "We must do nothing in haste."

Lennier looked to either side. "I apologize. I did not mean to suggest—"

"I believe you did." The second voice interrupted. Lennier was so close to placing it. "Your report stated that Shadow agents took Delenn while she was off station. I wonder why she felt the need to leave her assignment."

"I am not privy to all of Ambassador Delenn's movements. I am merely her aide." _Let the courtship ritual begin_, Lennier thought wryly.

The first voice continued the questioning. "You have no idea whatsoever what she was doing?"

"I believe it involved a favor for Captain Sheridan, but beyond that I cannot say."

"And in fulfilling this unknown favor, her ship was intercepted by Shadows."

"Agents of the Shadows, yes."

"It seems to me that this is a truly terrible incident, but not one we can do anything about," the second voice stated.

There was an indistinct murmur at this. The voice spoke again, accusingly. "Would you have us storm Za'ha'dum?"

Lennier was not sure if it had been directed solely at him or at the indiscernible others. He could not say no. If Delenn were there he would have them tear the entire planet apart. "Surely there is something that can be done. At the very least, I know that Ambassador Delenn would wish us to prepare for the coming war against the Shadows."

"What Delenn wants is not the concern of this council," the voice said, dripping with scorn.

"But surely you see the danger of the Shadow threat, the Anla'shok—"

"Enough!" Lennier looked down at the rebuke, but his mouth remained clenched in anger. "The Anla'shok are an obsolete remnant of a bygone age. It is the responsibility of the Warrior Caste to fight for Minbar. I see no reason we should place our trust in a faction that has been polluted by outsiders."

Lennier decided it was time to play his last card. "Before I left Captain Sheridan thought he would be able to locate the ship on which Ambassador Delenn was being held."

"You believe that the _Starkiller_ will be of service to the Minbari?" The voice spit the epithet and Lennier finally identified the voice, Satai Neroon. The man who had taken Delenn's place and upset the balance of the council.

"I do," Lennier said firmly.

"Tell us then," Neroon began dangerously, "what special knowledge does Starkiller possess that he can locate a single Shadow ship?"

Lennier looked straight ahead. "Captain Sheridan has allied with the Vorlon Ambassador, Kosh, against the Shadow threat. It is as Valen's prophecy foretells. The humans _have_ united with us to battle the coming darkness."

Several new voices exclaimed at this announcement. And the first voice spoke loudly over them, "We must deliberate over this information. You are dismissed."

Lennier clasp his hands and bowed low. He turned to go and as he exited the sounds of arguing behind him grew louder.

*************

Sheridan was kicking himself mentally as he tried to put as much distance between the soldiers and himself as he could. He didn't have a clue where to go. He didn't even have any proof that Delenn was still here. The soldiers he had encountered earlier were looking for someone besides him, whom else did they have on board? The horrible image of the Strieb's menagerie popped into his head, and he shuddered. _I could always just give myself up_, he thought grimly. Maybe he'd get lucky and they'd lock him up somewhere near Delenn. _Assuming they won't just shoot me first._

His straining ears caught the sound of footsteps somewhere behind him, inducing another burst of speed. It put a little more distance between himself and his pursuers, but this strategy couldn't work forever. There was only so much ship. He was going to run out of room sooner or later.

It was sooner. Sheridan took the corner ahead at almost a dead run, hurtling bodily into two members of the crew who were standing in the corridor. One of the two might have sensed his headlong rush a split second before; she had almost gotten out of the way. He clipped her, but slammed into the more distracted second. There was little resistance to his overwhelming momentum. She grunted as the impact knocked the wind from her, and he heard the unpleasant sound of her head hitting the floor. He surged desperately to his feet; agonizingly slowed by the tangle of limbs he found himself in.

"…John…" Delenn tried weakly, struggling to regain her breath.

Sheridan spun in surprise as his brain finally registered her voice and took in the scene before him. Lyta had been knocked to the side and was slowly regaining her feet. Delenn lay on her back, eyes closed. The hat she had been wearing had come loose in the collision and her hair lay pooled about her face. They were both wearing the same dark coveralls he had seen on some of the crew here.

"Delenn!" Sheridan was at her side in a flash, all thoughts of pursuit obliterated. "I…God…are you okay?" He took in a deep breath, emotion choking his voice, "I'm so sorry."

Delenn opened her eyes, winced, and closed them again. She took a shallow breath. "Why are you sorry?" she managed weakly. "For finding me?"

He swallowed, not trusting himself to speak. He looked at the woman lying next to him. Deep purple bruising covered one side of her face, trailing from the join of crest and temple to her jaw. Half hidden by her clothing was a narrow silver band he did not recognize. It lay just above the hollow of her throat and was so thin it might have been jewelry were it not for the angry, blistered flesh around it. Why was he sorry? How could she ask that? He was sorry for everything. Sorry he had let her sacrifice herself for him, sorry for not getting there sooner, sorry for adding to her pain. He forced a weak laugh. "Some knight in shining armor I turned out to be."

A quizzical smile broke out over Delenn's face. It transformed her battered countenance, and Sheridan felt his breath catch. Her eyes opened again, but she turned her head away almost immediately.

His face fell; she couldn't even look at him. How could he have let this happen? "I…I understand. You have every right to be angry."

Delenn shook her head. "I am not angry." She looked back at him and blinked as if she was staring at the sun. "It is just that your armor shines so very brightly."

Sheridan's forehead wrinkled, and then smoothed as he broke into a boyish grin. Without warning he pulled her into an urgent hug. Delenn's breath went out of her for the second time in a matter of moments. It seemed to happen so frequently when he was around. "There's something I need to tell you," he whispered.

Lyta straightened suddenly. "They're coming. We need to move now!"

The memory of the footsteps he had been fleeing rushed back to the forefront of his thoughts. "Shit! I've led them right to you."

*************

John released his hold on Delenn reluctantly. "Can you walk?"

"Yes."

As he helped her to her feet he pulled out his concealed PPG. There was no chance he'd pass for a member of the crew now. He looked around. "Which way?" Lyta pointed down the corridor and the trio began moving in that direction.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" John asked Lyta.

She glanced at him incredulously before focusing her attention back on something intangible. "Trying to find a clear route for us to the shuttle bay. Do we have to talk about this now? I really need to concentrate."

"Um…I guess not."

Delenn could see she was slowing them down. The effects of her imprisonment and subsequent merger with Kosh were visibly wearing on her. While the sight of John had invigorated her, that burst of strength was waning. She looked over at him. The blinding light surrounding him had faded to a faint nimbus; all of it the result of Kosh's unique vision, she assumed. Part of her still could not believe he was actually here. She had hallucinated him once before after all.

The thought stopped her dead in her tracks. She put a hand on the wall to steady herself. What if all of this was a hallucination? Was any of her escape real, or was she still in her cell, drugged and giving up information on those she considered friends? Fear, anger, and humiliation washed over her.

John turned back to Delenn and saw that she had stopped. "Delenn? What's wrong?" He started back towards her reached for her arm.

"No." She backed away from him. "Not again." Her eyes flicked warily between him and Lyta.

"Delenn—"

"Stay back." She bit the words off.

Concern and fear tinged Lyta's voice. "Is it—?"

Suddenly, white-hot fire shot through Delenn's body as the pain-giver at her neck activated. She screamed and dropped to her knees, her face twisted in agony. She could feel it pulling at her bonds with Kosh, ripping through her body and her mind, trying to separate them.

And as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Much to her surprise, John and Lyta had not vanished into thin air. John rushed towards her as she endeavored to stand. He slipped an arm around her waist to support her. Not caring if he was real or not, she clung to him. "I cannot escape this place," she said bitterly. "You and Lyta must go."

His grip on her waist tightened. "I'm not leaving you."

A sob escaped her in response. "Go."

He shook his head. "No. Lyta, can you get to the shuttle bay? We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Delenn, are you sure?" Lyta asked.

Delenn's voice echoed with Kosh's overtones as they spoke together. "Go. Now."

Lyta nodded reluctantly and took off at a run down the corridor.

"That was a neat trick. You'll have to show me how to do it sometime." He gave her a wan smile. "I can just picture the look on Susan's face."

Delenn did not return the expression. "Unfortunately, I doubt you would find the experience very enjoyable."

The telepath vanished around a corner. "Keep moving," John encouraged.

Delenn leaned heavily on him. He felt so real, but he had felt real before. "John, how did you get here?"

His eyes moved in her direction. "I, uh, stowed away. Not exactly first class accommodations, and definitely not something I would recommend it for a return flight."

Delenn let out a low short laugh. "Anywhere is better than here."

The sound of heavily booted feet came from behind them and John looked back sharply. "Oh hell." The hall was bare; there was no convenient place to hide.

The pain-giver ignited again and Delenn began convulsing with a cry. A thousand stinging insects raced up John's arms and he nearly dropped her. He swore loudly and gripped her tighter with one arm. With the other he raised his PPG in the direction of the oncoming footsteps.

Four soldiers came into view, rifles trained on the shaking couple. Behind them stood a smartly dressed businessman. He could not have looked more out of place if he had been wearing a clown suit John thought absurdly. "Drop your weapon!" one of the soldiers barked.

Through the haze of pain Delenn heard a voice she had been dreading. "My, my. You have been surprisingly difficult to track down, Ambassador. Who would have thought such a little thing would be so useful in your recovery?" Her tormentor held up the silver remote.

John's eyes narrowed. "Turn it off."

"Ah, first you must give up your weapon…as a sign of good faith and all that." His voice turned icy. "I could easily kill her you know."

Slowly, John lowered Delenn to the floor. On his knees, he pushed the PPG towards the soldiers. "Now turn it off!" he growled.

The well-dressed man stepped forward and thumbed the switch. "Very good." He gestured and two of the soldiers moved to flank John. Delenn gasped with relief as the pain-giver shut down. "Now, who are you and why are you helping a Minbari war criminal?" he asked somewhat curiously.

"Go to hell." John spat.

The interrogator cocked his head at John's defiance as if in consideration and then pressed his remote.

"No!" John shouted.

He smiled unctuously as he deactivated it. "The rules are very simple. Answer my questions, and the use of this will not be necessary."

"Do not answer him." Suppressed fury that this man would use John's compassion against him laced Delenn's words.

The interrogator chuckled, his suppositions confirmed. The Minbari was stronger than steel, but her companion would prove much easier to manipulate. "You're still conscious, Ambassador? I must say I'm impressed. You succumbed so much more quickly the last time, I would not have expected such reserves from you." He leered. "I look forward to probing them anew."

"You son of a bitch!" John exploded from his position on the floor without warning. Before the soldiers could react his hands were around the interrogator's throat. The offending remote was knocked away; surprise etched on the face of his target.

Delenn felt Kosh welling up inside of her. The pain-giver's frequency had managed to tear loose some of the Vorlon's moorings to her frame but she intended to make the most of his strength while she could. The guns were still tracking the pair locked in combat on the floor. She was on her feet in the blink of an eye. The soldier next to her felt his head hit the wall before the man had even registered that the beaten Minbari might pose a threat. He slumped to the deck, unconscious.

The woman on her right fared no better. The heel of Delenn's palm hit her face with unnatural force. She too fell, bleeding and incapacitated, to the floor.

The two soldiers who had been standing behind the well-dressed man had more time to react. The first pulled his weapon up and fired. The second, keeping his weapon trained on the men wrestling on the ground, began shouting into his link.

John looked up when he heard the gunfire. He threw a final satisfying punch into his opponent's bloodied face. The interrogator's head snapped back into the floor and he lay still. Sheridan swung his legs around in a sweep and knocked down the soldier whose attention had moved to Delenn. His second shot went wide. A solid shot across the jaw and he was out of the fight.

Delenn closed with the last and grabbed his rifle with both hands. Ripping it from his grasp she swung the butt of it across his face and he crumpled to the floor like the others. A glinting object on the floor caught her eye. She picked it up and crushed the remote effortlessly in her fist. Kosh spoke, "It is time to leave."


	8. Chapter 8

_It's been a while. Sorry about that. I haven't been able to get in touch with my beta, so I apologize profusely for any mistakes or oddly behaving characters. There are currently 2 chapters following this in the works (and more to follow that). I have also been editing and doing a little rewriting or chapters 1-7. There won't be any huge plot differences, just cleaning up areas I felt were overly wordy and clarifying some character positions. I will be posting those soon._**  
**

**Chapter 8: Escape**

John stared, mouth agape, at Delenn. The change in her posture was stunning. She looked like a radiant goddess of war. One hand was clenched in a fist; the other held a pulse rifle. Her hair was wild and free about her face. Light shown from her eyes as she turned to face him. He had been with her after the Vorlon inquisitor had tortured her, and been half expecting a similar response. She did not cling to him now, though. Her behavior reminded him of soldiers in battle who disconnected from their surroundings, acted on autopilot. She was as one possessed. "Delenn…" he began.

The light faded from her eyes and she seemed to come back to herself. She collapsed. Sheridan saw the change just in time to keep her from hitting the floor. "Oh shit," he cursed as his hand brushed a dark, oozing wound at her side. It was almost invisible against the dark material of her jumpsuit. A rifle burst had caught her just below her ribcage. How in God's name had she managed to keep moving after that?

She was breathing, but much more than that he wasn't confident of. He reached for a pulse point at her wrist and grimaced. The skin under her sleeves was blistered and torn. A wave of rage swept over him. He was going to blow this ship from the sky, just as soon as he got behind the controls of something some firepower.

Carefully avoiding the metal band at her throat and the inflamed skin edging it, he let his fingers trace her jaw. He swallowed noisily. It was such an intimate gesture, one that he might have enjoyed performing under very different circumstances. His hand rested lightly there, finding her pulse weak but steady. He let his hand linger for a moment in assurance that there was no change in the soft flutter beneath his fingers. Something tight was squeezing his chest and he realized that he had been holding his breath.

With a frown Sheridan recovered his PPG and scooped Delenn up into his arms. She needed medical care badly, but first he had to get her off this ship. He raced in the direction Lyta had taken, his impulse to shout for her help warring with some still rational part of his mind that wanted to draw no more attention than necessary.

Wait a second, she was a telepath right? He shouted with all the intensity he could muster mentally. _Lyta! Which way do I go?_

The hallway ended at a lift. The doors opened as he approached and he rushed inside. _Now what? _He grimaced. _Up or down?_

_Down, two decks, _a voice echoed in his mind. It wasn't Lyta's though; it…it sounded like Delenn's but it was larger somehow than he had ever heard in life. It was as if her voice had been amplified to fill a grand space, and it resonated with every harmonic of her natural spectrum.

Sheridan looked down in surprise to see if she had actually spoken aloud, but she was still unconscious. He paused briefly in confusion and then hit the button. Delenn was breathing shallow and slow. Hang on, hang on" he repeated. "I came halfway across the galaxy to find you. Don't leave me now." The lift settled and the doors parted.

_Follow the corridor to the second intersection and turn right._

Sheridan glanced at the motionless woman in his arms and hoped he had not completely lost his mind. Her temperature must be spiking, it felt like she was burning in his arms. He noted changes in the corridors' design as they continued. After the intersection, the passageway became wider allowing for a higher flow of traffic. Just what he would expect for an area nearer to a cargo or docking bay. However, it was conspicuously empty. At the far end he spied a large hatch already open to the bay.

He came through the doors and moved to cover as fast as he could manage. He did not relish the idea of being an easy target. Nearest to him sat a Minbari flyer. It looked as battered as Delenn did. On the far side of the open bay sat another small ship. It was an Earther shuttle, but it had been covered in a black, oily skin of some kind. Creepy as it was, that was going to be their ticket out of there. He started towards it and was immediately admonished by Delenn's disembodied voice. _No._

A flash of red caught his eye. Lyta had ducked out of the _Zhalen_ and was waving him over. John looked at her askance, the flyer didn't look like it was going anywhere fast. He started toward her and pulled up short when a tech crossed the open bay. He froze.

_Go now,_ the floating voice intoned urgently.

Sheridan took off at a run across the short open space between them and the _Zhalen. _The tech continued on as if they were not there and Lyta closed the hatch as he stepped inside.

He set Delenn down gently just outside of the cockpit, checked her pulse again and turned to the telepath. "Are you sure this ship is space-worthy?"

"It had better be."

"I think we should take one of the other shuttles."

Lyta suppressed a shudder and shook her head quickly in response to his suggestion. "Get moving Captain, we're running out of time." She knelt next to Delenn and took both of the Minbari's hands in hers.

"You're kidding right? I can't fly this!" He said disbelievingly. "I wouldn't know a Minbari language from a hole in the ground!"

"They got here first, you don't have to." She gestured impatiently to the control consoles before turning her attention back to Delenn.

His head turned to follow her out-stretched hand and his jaw dropped. Every panel in the cockpit was covered with flimsies marked in English. Propulsion, pitch, yaw, roll, all of it clearly labeled by the Nightwatch techs. "Oh," was all he could manage.

* * *

Lyta didn't wait for any more questions Sheridan might have. In a moment she would have to redirect her energy into bringing the _Casus Belli_ to a dead halt, but first she had to know what was happening between Delenn and Kosh. Delenn did not look good, and she had no idea how Kosh was faring. It was selfish she knew, but if Kosh was able to help her even a little bit, the horrible agony of invading the Shadow's mind might be lessened somewhat.

She grabbed Delenn's hands and threw herself into the other woman's mindscape. It was eerily quiet. She moved through the darkness to the place Delenn had met her the first time. The candle and the serenity she had felt before was gone. She shivered. The glowing trees she had created had been uprooted as if hurricane force winds had struck the spot. "Delenn?" Lyta called, her voice reverberating oddly in the emptiness. "Kosh?" she tried again.

She knelt next to one of the enormous trunks and put a hand on it. It pulsed slowly beneath her touch. Curious, she looked closer. To her amazement, tiny green tendrils and shoots had spread up from the ground under her feet gripping the damaged tree trunks like a climbing vine. Extending from the dark soil, they attached everywhere the trunk came into contact with it. Attuning herself to it she could feel a transfer of energy along these vines from Kosh to Delenn. The light of the tree trunks was slowly fading. Lyta's eyes grew wide with horror. She had been so concerned about Kosh's overwhelming effect on Delenn it had not occurred to her that Delenn might be strong enough to unwittingly hurt Kosh. What had she done? Panic gripped her and she grabbed a handful of roots, tearing them from the ground.

"No." Kosh's voice echoed in the cathedral like space. "It is as it must be."

Lyta looked up. "But it will kill you! I don't understand."

"Understanding is a three-edged sword" Kosh intoned.

The telepath shook her head. "Let me try to undo this," she pleaded.

"You cannot."

"There was no other way." Lyta whirled around at the sound of Delenn's voice. The Minbari was standing quietly behind her, her face lined with sadness.

Without warning a searing flash of light burst from the tree trunks. Lyta found herself blinded and thrust forcibly from Delenn's mind. She opened her eyes to find Sheridan pushing her aside. Delenn was convulsing.

"What did you do to her?" Sheridan shouted angrily.

"I didn't…" Lyta trailed off as Delenn's shaking subsided. "I think Kosh is dying," she said in a small voice.

Sheridan didn't respond. He had gone ridged, staring into space, his hands clutching Delenn's arms. Her eyes had opened wide and her body was as stiff as Sheridan's. Every pore appeared to be suffused with the light of Kosh's presence. Lyta watched in anguish as the light that limbed her body slowly faded away to nothing.

* * *

John blinked in surprise. One moment he had been kneeling on the floor of a Minbari shuttle, the next he was standing in the rock garden aboard Babylon 5. "What the…" He spun in a circle and found himself face to face with David Sheridan.

"Dad? What are you doing here? How did I…"

"There's not a lot of time son," the man sighed. "I want to tell you how sorry I am."

John gave him a questioning look. "Sorry for what? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry I can't be there when you need me. Things have gotten a little tangled. I hoped I'd be able to stick around a little while longer, but we didn't expect this." He grimaced and stumbled back slightly.

"Dad, are you alright?" John moved to help him to a nearby bench. They sat for a moment before the older man spoke again.

"It's been a long journey and I'm not nearly as young as I used to be, but she'll recover. Do me a favor; whatever happens, don't let her blame herself." He looked to the far side of the garden. "I chose this." John followed his gaze and his eyes came to rest on Delenn.

"Delenn." The word was uttered like a sigh before John could stop himself. She looked over at the two men, a sad smile playing upon her lips.

His father continued. "I knew what was ahead and there are so many things I should have told you. Things I should have told both of you." Delenn was standing next to them now. John hadn't even seen her move. She seemed even paler than usual, her face thin and drawn. "It's going to be harder than we thought. So remember that as strong as you are, you're stronger together."

Delenn looked away, biting her lip.

"But how will I know…" John glanced at Delenn.

The older man gave him a rueful smile. "Your instincts are good. Trust yourself to make the right call." He struggled to stand. "I have to go now, John."

"No." John helped him rise. "No, don't leave."

"It's alright son." He put a hand to Delenn's heart as he turned to face her fully. "You see, as long as you're here," color flushed her cheeks even as it was drawn from his, "I'll always be here."

The scene faded before him and John found himself keeling on the floor of the shuttle once more. "Kosh," he whispered.

Lyta touched his shoulder, silent tears streaming down her face. "We have to go. There's no more time."

* * *

Marcus watched impatiently as the _Casus Belli_ and the freighter sat dully together in space. He didn't like it. He had hoped they would lead him to a secret base, not a rendezvous with a floating junk heap. They were just sitting there! "What are you doing?" he wondered aloud.

Were they transferring cargo, crew, or maybe a captive Minbari Ambassador? Which ship should he follow when they eventually parted ways? His hand hovered briefly over the weapons console. Perhaps he should attack them now, let himself be captured, and see what he could make of it.

He frowned. It was time for action. He wasn't sure exactly what action was called for, but he would be damned if he was going to sit here and let them continue on unhindered. He hesitated a moment longer and then moved his hand to propulsion sending the _White Star_ hurtling forward.

As he did so an explosion erupted from the side of the _Casus Belli_ and he watched incredulously as a Minbari flyer came rocketing out of the hold, Delenn's flyer. She was missing the starboard stabilizing fin and her course was erratic as she moved away from the mated ships.

A small burst of weapons fire came from the freighter. "Bloody hell! That piece of rubbish is armed?" Marcus gunned the engines once more in an effort to maneuver the _White Star_ between the attacking ship and the small shuttle. A glancing shot caught the flyer and her tenuous attitude control vanished.

Marcus finally swung the _White Star _into position, the shots from the freighter striking it instead. Their energy was easily absorbed and disbursed by the adaptable skin of the Vorlon-Minbari ship. He clenched his teeth waiting for the big guns of the _Casus Belli_ to let loose. They didn't.

"Far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth." He turned his attention to the unstable flight of the flyer and addressed it in Adronato. "_White Star _to Flyer _Zhalen._ Please identify." There was no response.

"Hmph. Figures." He tried the hail again with the same response. "Right then. You're either Delenn and you can't respond, or you're a Shadow agent and you're attempting something sneaky." He keyed in a command as more enemy fire pinged the hull. "Either way it's my lucky day because both scenarios suit me fine. Now then, this ought to smoke any Shadows out." The _White Star_ executed a roll and came in close in preparation to collect the flyer. It was a Minbari technique for recovering damaged craft. Marcus was confident that if Delenn were flying she'd recognize it and respond to the best of her ability. During his Ranger training the scenario had always worked like a charm.

Instead of holding course, the _Zhalen_ swerved away to avoid the collision that wasn't coming. "Ah ha, if that's how you want it imposter, we'll do it the hard way," Marcus muttered. He swung the _White Star_ up and around in front of the flyer. Before she could change course again he forced an accelerated roll, neatly scooping the flyer into the open docking bay. He cringed as the ship shuddered slightly with the impact. That was going to leave a mark.

As if in reaction to the disappearance of the flyer the _Casus Belli_ came to life. It tore itself free of the freighter and turned to run down the _White Star_. Marcus groaned. His fancy maneuver meant he was now heading straight at them. Turning around would only give them a large, juicy target. Gritting his teeth he held his course.

"Right, the big ones always blink first," he said hopefully. The _Casus Belli_ loomed ahead of him, filling the view screen. "Bugger." He threw the ship into a dive, skimming just out of reach of the dark spurs that stretched below the Shadow-Human ship. In a flash they were past the hulking ship. Marcus wasted no more time. He hit the jump engines and the _White Star_ leapt to the relative safety of hyperspace.

Marcus sprinted all the way to the docking bay. The flyer sat on the floor in a battered heap; a wisp of smoke curled from the rear stabilizers. Marcus crept slowly toward the _Zhalen_, while trying to steady his breathing. Whoever had been at the controls wasn't Minbari, and that was reason enough for him to assume they would be hostile. Using Delenn's flyer to infiltrate the _White Star_ was a clever ploy, just not clever enough.

He found a good position to strike from and snapped open his den'bok. The hatch slid open with a groan. Black, acrid smoke poured forth and a man in a dark uniform came tumbling out onto the docking bay floor. Marcus stepped over him as he tried unsuccessfully to regain his feet, "Move, and I'll split your head open like a gosa fruit. What have you done with Ambassador Delenn?"

Marcus spun around in shock as Delenn emerged from the craft. "He has rescued me."

* * *

Babylon 5 was taking a beating. Mere hours ago Susan had been hopeful that things would hold together until Sheridan returned, but it had been a foolish hope. The voice of the fatalist scolded her mentally; she knew better. If the shit hit the fan, it would do it at the worst possible moment.

Two more Earthforce destroyers had just jumped in system and Ivanova despaired that they would make it out alive. The _Churchill_, the _Roanoke_, and the _Agrippa_ were a nothing more than smoldering wrecks in space. How many had died aboard? The _Alexander_ was still fighting, but it was heavily damaged. She didn't see how much longer they could hold out. Ivanova cursed Draal and the Great Machine again for good measure. Now would be an excellent time for him to step in and offer a little help.

Their last communication had been cryptic and uninformative in the extreme, something about sector 14 and the fate of trillions. Well, there were a quarter million aboard Babylon 5 at the moment, and if they were lucky they'd be boarded and good people on both sides would die. If they weren't, EarthForce Command would decide it wasn't worth the trouble and blow them all to hell.

Ivanova watched with gritted teeth as an internal explosion rocked the _Alexander_. She began to drift away, out of control. A dozen small craft launched from the closing destroyers. "Ivanova to Garibaldi, prepare for imminent boarding." She turned to Lieutenant Corwin; "I want a lock-out set up on all main computer functions to be initiated on my order or incapacitation. Isolate air and water recycling and rotation. If they take C&C I want this station to be an autonomous hunk of floating junk, for all the use it'll be to them." Corwin nodded and began typing madly.

If Garibaldi's stripped security forces and their Narn allies couldn't repel the boarders this was going to be a very, very bad day.

**End of Part 1**


End file.
